Method for measuring a vapor precursor level in a cartomizer of an electronic vaping device and/or an electronic vaping device configured to perform the method

Abstract

An electronic vaping device includes a cartomizer and a battery section. The cartomizer includes a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing, a vaporizer connected to the liquid supply reservoir, a channel adjacent to the liquid supply reservoir. The liquid supply reservoir being is to store vapor precursor. The vaporizer includes a fluid-transport structure that is configured to transport the vapor precursor from the liquid supply reservoir to the channel. The battery section is configured to provide power to the vaporizer. The battery section includes a control circuit that is configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic vaping device, comprising:
 a cartomizer including a housing, a liquid supply reservoir in the housing, a vaporizer connected to the liquid supply reservoir, and a channel adjacent to the liquid supply reservoir,   the liquid supply reservoir being configured to store vapor precursor,   the vaporizer including a fluid-transport structure that is configured to transport the vapor precursor from the liquid supply reservoir to the channel; and   a battery section configured to provide power to the vaporizer,   the battery section including a control circuit that is configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cartomizer and the battery section are configured to be removably coupled to each other, and   the vaporizer includes a heating element that is configured to generate a vapor from the vapor precursor transported to the channel.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 2 , wherein
 the battery section includes a battery,   the fluid-transport structure includes a wick that extends from the channel into the liquid supply reservoir,   the heating element includes a heating coil that is wrapped around a part of the wick, and   the heating coil is configured to receive power from the battery and heat the wick.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the cartomizer includes a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead that are connected to respective ends of the heating coil,   the cartomizer includes a first probe connected to a first end of the wick,   the first probe and the first electrical lead are separated from each other,   the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across a portion of the wick using the first probe and one of the first electric lead and the second electrical lead, and   the control circuit is configured to determine the saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on the measured electrical resistance of the portion of the wick.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the cartomizer includes a first probe and a second probe that are electrically connected to a first end and a second end of the wick, respectively,   the battery section is configured to connect the first probe and the second probe to the control circuit, and   the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across the wick using the first probe and the second probe.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the cartomizer includes a first probe and a second probe that are electrically connected to a first end and a second of the wick, respectively,   the cartomizer includes a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead that are connected to respective ends of the heating coil,   the first probe and the first electrical lead are separated from each other,   the second probe and the second electrical lead are separated from each other,   the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across a first portion of the wick using the first probe and at least one of the first electric lead and the second electrical lead,   the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across a second portion of the wick using the first probe and the second probe,   the control circuit is configured to determine the saturation level of the vapor precursor on the fluid-transport structure based on at least one of the measured electrical resistance across the first portion of the wick and the measured electrical resistance across the second portion of the wick, and   the first portion of the wick and the second portion of the wick are different sizes.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the control circuit is configured to measure the electrical resistance across a third portion of the wick using the second probe and at least one of the first electrical lead and the second electrical lead, and   the second portion and the third portion of the wick are different sizes.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a LED, wherein   the control circuit is connected to the LED,   the control circuit is configured to control the LED to display a first color if the electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure is between a first threshold value and a second threshold value,   the control circuit is circuit is configured to control the LED to display a second color if the electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure is greater than the first threshold value,   the first threshold value is greater than the second threshold value, and   the first color is different than the second color.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is configured to limit a supply of power to the vaporizer if the electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure is greater than the first threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit includes a resistive sensing unit and a vaporizer driver. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the control circuit includes a memory unit,   the memory unit is configured to store a plurality of electrical resistance values that correspond to the electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure measured at different times, and   the control circuit is configured to issue an alert based on a comparison result of at least two of the electrical resistance values measured from the fluid-transport structure of a same cartomizer.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 11 , wherein
 the at least two of the electrical resistance values include a first value and a second value, and   the control circuit is configured to issue the alert if at least one of:   a ratio based on the first value and the second value is greater than a threshold ratio, and   a difference based on the first value and the second value is greater than a threshold difference.   
     
     
         13 . A battery section of an electronic vaping device, the battery section comprising:
 a battery; and   a control circuit connected to the battery,   the control circuit being configured to determine a saturation level of the vapor precursor on a fluid-transport structure based on an electrical resistance of at least a portion of the fluid-transport structure.   
     
     
         14 . The battery section of  claim 13 , wherein the battery section is configured to be removably coupled to a cartomizer of the electronic vaping device. 
     
     
         15 . The battery section of  claim 13 , wherein the control circuit is configured to limit the a supply of power that the battery supplies to an external device if the control circuit determines the electrical resistance is greater than a threshold value. 
     
     
         16 . The battery section of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a LED connected to the battery, wherein   the control circuit is configured to control the LED to display a first color if the electrical resistance is between a first threshold value and a second threshold value,   the control circuit is circuit is configured to control the LED to display a second color if the electrical resistance of the fluid-transport structure is greater than the first threshold value,   the first threshold value is greater than the second threshold value, and   the first color is different than the second color.   
     
     
         17 . The battery section of  claim 15 , wherein
 the control circuit includes a resistive sensing controller and a vaporizer driver,   the vaporizer driver is configured to control supplying power to a vaporizer if the vaporizer driver is electrically connected to the vaporizer, and   the resistive sensing controller is configured to determine the electrical resistance based on sensing resistance values measured at different positions of the fluid-transport structure.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the fluid-transport structure is a heater-wick structure.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic vaping device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cartomizer includes a first probe and a second probe that are connected to respective ends of the heating coil.   
     
     
         20 . An electronic vaping device, comprising:
 the battery section of  claim 15 ; and   a cartomizer connected to the battery section.