ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE
An electronic cigarette includes a cartridge and an atomizer assembly. The cartridge has a chimney and a liquid reservoir with an opening. The atomizer assembly includes an atomizer sleeve; a liquid conductor plugging the opening, a base axially abuts against the liquid conductor, and a heating element positioned between the liquid conductor and the base; the liquid conductor, the base and the heating element are received in the atomizer sleeve. The atomizer sleeve defines an air channel. The base defines an aperture communicated to the air channel. The heating element includes a linear wick and a heating wire twined around the wick. The wick without being twined by the heating wire is received in the aperture. The liquid conductor defines an outlet hole for transferring liquid to the wire. The heating wire and the wick are positioned in the air channel.
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The present disclosure relates to an electronic atomizing device, and more particularly relates to an electronic cigarette.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe electronic cigarette is also known as a virtual cigarette or an electronic atomizer. As a substitute for cigarette, the electronic cigarette is usually used for smoking cessation. The appearance and taste of electronic cigarette are similar to those of the conventional cigarette, while it does not contain tar, suspended particles and other harmful ingredients as the conventional cigarette.
The electronic cigarette is mainly composed of an atomizer and a battery assembly. Usually, the atomizer includes some cotton for storing liquid, a heating wire, a liquid conductor, a heating wire support, and positive and negative electrodes of the atomizer and so on. A heating element of the electronic cigarette is generally formed by twining the heating wire around the heating wire support. The fixation of the heating element is not very stable for its position being prone to change. Furthermore, only a small amount of liquid can be stored in the cotton, and the cotton surrounds around the heating wire support in layers to store liquid, which is complicated. Since the cotton can only absorb a small amount of liquid, once a slightly more liquid is absorbed by the cotton, the droplets are formed and drops to the atomizer, then deposited to the bottom of the atomizer; accordingly, the liquid is dried due to the heating of the atomizer. Moreover, the liquid deposited on the bottom of the atomizer is not easily removed from the air channel; the stability of the atomization is poor.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThis section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The present disclosure is directed to an electronic cigarette with better stability and simple structure.
An electronic cigarette includes a cartridge and an atomizer assembly. The cartridge has a liquid reservoir and a chimney. The liquid reservoir defines an opening towards an end of the cartridge. The atomizer assembly includes an atomizer sleeve; a liquid conductor plugging the opening of the liquid reservoir, a base axially abutting against an end of the liquid conductor, and a heating element positioned between the liquid conductor and the base. The liquid conductor, the heating element, and the base are received in the atomizer sleeve. The atomizer sleeve defines an air channel communicated with the chimney. The base defines an aperture on a surface thereof; the aperture is communicated with the air channel. The heating element includes a linear wick and a heating wire twined around part of the wick, the wick without being twined by the heating wire is received in the aperture. The liquid conductor defines an outlet hole allowing the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir to be transferred to the wick received in the aperture. The heating wire and the wick twined by the heating wire are received in the air channel.
The electronic cigarette is used to atomize the liquid for the user to inhale. The electronic cigarette includes at least an atomization nozzle assembly and a control power supply assembly. The atomization nozzle assembly and the control power supply assembly are connected by a threaded electrode. The control power supply assembly supplies power to the heating wire of the atomization nozzle assembly. The liquid in the atomization nozzle assembly is atomized by the heating wire for the user to inhale. The atomization nozzle assembly is provided with a cartridge. The cartridge is provided with a liquid reservoir and a heating wire. The atomization nozzle assembly can be a disposable assembly in use, i.e. the atomization nozzle assembly can be totally replaced when the liquid in the atomization nozzle is run out; accordingly, it is much easier and safer to replace the atomization nozzle assembly. The user inhales the atomized gas on the front of the atomization nozzle assembly.
In one embodiment, the chimney is located in a center of the housing, or close to a side of the housing. When the chimney is located close to the side of the housing, at least partial wall of the chimney is integrally formed with the wall of the liquid reservoir. The atomized particles generated by the atomizer assembly can pass through the chimney and go out of the housing.
The liquid reservoir is a component mainly used to store the liquid; it defines an opening towards an end of the cartridge. Since the liquid conductor is capable of plugging the opening of the liquid reservoir, there is no need to configure any medium to absorb liquid in the liquid reservoir. In one embodiment, the liquid conductor is made of silicone, i.e. the liquid conductor is a silicone liquid conductor. The liquid in the liquid reservoir is not transferred to the wick by capillarity action, but the liquid permeates to the wick through the outlet hole on the liquid conductor.
The base defines an aperture on a surface thereof, the aperture can is distributed in radial on the surface of the base, or it can be spirally distributed on the surface of the base starting from (in a radiating form) the air channel and extending to the outer periphery of the air channel.
The wick is made of nontoxic and temperature-resistant fibers, and the wick can absorb the liquid flowed from the outlet hole by capillarity action. The wick is received in the aperture. Since the base axially abuts to the end of the liquid conductor, even the aperture is not full with the wick (the cross-sectional area of the wick is smaller than that of the aperture), partial wall of the liquid conductor can be extruded into the aperture; accordingly, the wick without being twined by the heating wire can also be extruded into the aperture located between the base and the liquid conductor. The liquid absorbed by the extruded wick can be further adjusted; accordingly, the amount of liquid absorbed by the wick can be adjusted by changing the number of the outlet hole, the size of the wick or the cross-sectional area of the aperture.
Further, the wick can extend to the outlet hole and directly plug the outlet hole. Alternatively, the wick does not extend to the outlet hole, i.e. the wick is not directly blocked the outlet hole. A large number of the liquid passes through the outlet hole and enters the aperture or flows to other place of the surface of the base outside of the aperture, and then permeates to the wick.
The air channel allows the air in the outside to pass through the base and the liquid conductor and then go to the chimney. The air channel can be formed by a space between the liquid conductor and the outer housing (i.e. the atomizer sleeve), or a space between the base and the outer housing, or it can be formed by the axially through holes being communicated with each other on the liquid conductor and the base.
The heating wire twines around part of the wick; the heating wire is positioned in the air channel and extends towards the outlet hole, but not directly joined to the outlet orifice. Not all of the heating wire is positioned in the air channel; at least two ends of the heating wire extend to the aperture, two electrical leads are provided on the two ends of the heating wire, the base defines two holes on the two sides of the second axially through hole, and the two electrical leads are inserted into the two holes.
According to the foregoing technical solution, when the user is inhaling the electronic cigarette, the air enters the chimney by passing through the air channel and then goes out. The heating wire is electrified and heated by the control of the control power supply; the liquid absorbed by the wick is atomized, and then bought out by the flowing air.
The structure of the foregoing electronic cigarette is simple, it is also easy to assemble, and the sealing effect is also excellent. Compared to the prior art, the foregoing technical solution has the following advantages:
1. Since the heating element includes a linear wick and a heating wire twined around part of the wick, the wick without being twined by the heating wire is received in the aperture and extends to the outlet hole; the liquid from the outlet hole can be absorbed by the wick, and then transferred to the heating wire.
2. The base axially abuts against an end of the liquid conductor, and the liquid conductor has a great flexibility; accordingly, whether the aperture is full with the wick or not, the liquid conductor is capable of becoming deformed to extrude the wick received in the aperture for sealing and throttling. Moreover, it can prevent the liquid from flowing to the heating wire without passing through the wick.
3. Since the base and the liquid conductor are tight bonded to each other, the sealing effect is excellent, and it can prevent the liquid flowed from the liquid conductor from running around all over the place.
4. Since the heating wire is basically positioned in the air channel and not directly joined to the outlet hole, the heating wire is not necessary to be directly contacted with the outlet hole; the liquid passed through the outlet hole is absorbed by the wick and then transferred to the heating wire.
Further, in order to ensure that the liquid is much easier to permeate from the liquid reservoir, the liquid reservoir is provided with an air pipe. One end of the air pipe is inserted into the outlet hole of the liquid conductor; the other end extends to the top of the liquid reservoir. The air out of the liquid reservoir can slowly pass through the air pipe to the liquid reservoir, and an excessive negative pressure will not appear in the liquid reservoir.
Further, the liquid conductor is made of silicone. The liquid conductor defines a first axially through hole. The base defines a second axially through hole. The first axially through hole and the second axially through hole are communicated with each other to form the air channel. The silicone material is stable, and the body of base has no capillary holes. On one hand, the flow of the liquid can be controlled by the outlet hole; on the other hand, when the liquid passes through the liquid conductor, other foreign bodies are not absorbed by the liquid conductor, thus the liquid has no peculiar smell and the taste is great. Further, the liquid conductor is made of silicone with great flexibility; accordingly, the liquid conductor is capable of extruding the adjacent components, and there is no axial space adjacent to the liquid conductor, thus the liquid conductor can plug the opening of the liquid reservoir due to its flexibility.
Further, the chimney is positioned in the center of the cartridge; the liquid reservoir is formed by an outer wall of the chimney and an inner wall of the cartridge.
Further, the aperture is full with the wick without being twined by the heating wire, i.e. the cross-sectional area of the wick approximately equals to that of the aperture.
Further, the atomizer sleeve is integrally formed with the outer wall of the cartridge.
Further, the first axially through hole is defined in the center of the liquid conductor. The second axially through hole is defined in the center of base. The number of the aperture is two; the two apertures are defined on two sides of the second axially through hole, respectively. The number of the outlet hole is two, the two outlet holes are communicated with the two apertures, respectively. The heating wire twines around the middle part of the wick. Two ends of the wick are received in the two apertures, respectively.
Further, the liquid conductor includes a substrate and a boss located on the center of the substrate, the first axially through hole penetrates through the boss.
Further, the atomizer sleeve is conductive. An electrode slice is provided in the atomizer sleeve, which is insulated to the atomizer sleeve. The electrode slice is located on an end of the base. The electrical leads of the heating wire are connected to the atomizer sleeve and the electrode slice, respectively.
Further, the liquid conductor is a rigid liquid conductor, i.e. the liquid conductor is made of rigid material. The base is made of silicone. A seal ring is provided between the liquid conductor and the opening of the liquid reservoir. The rigid material is a type of temperature resistance and nontoxic rigid insulation material, such as ceramics and resin. The liquid conductor seals and engages against the opening of the liquid reservoir by the seal ring. Since the liquid conductor is made of silicone, the liquid conductor can also extend to the aperture on the base to extrude the wick; accordingly, the outflow of the liquid can be adjusted. Alternatively, when the heating wire is covered with an insulation layer on the outer surface thereof, the liquid conductor can be made of rigid metal material.
Further, the liquid conductor is made of porous ceramics, i.e. the liquid conductor is a porous ceramics liquid conductor. The outlet hole is formed by the micropores of the liquid conductor. The liquid conductor is made of porous ceramics, which has a certain rigidity to extrude the wick by extruding the aperture of the base; accordingly, the outflow of the liquid can be adjusted. Preferably, the aperture is distributed in spiral, thus the contact area between the wick and the liquid conductor is enlarged.
Further, the aperture is spirally distributed on a surface of the base starting from the air channel and extending to the outer periphery of the air channel. At least partial wick is received in the aperture; accordingly, the contact area between the wick and the liquid conductor is enlarged. The amount of the liquid absorbed by the wick can be adjusted by changing the extending length of the wick (or changing the contact area between the wick and the surface of the liquid conductor).
The electronic cigarette can be a substitute for cigarettes for smoking cessation due to its features and benefits.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views.
Illustrative embodiments of the disclosure are below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular parts of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.
Example OneReferring to
The mouthpiece 10 is shaped approximately as circular plate. The mouthpiece 10 defines an air outlet 110 for the air entering and going out. In the illustrated embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 is provided with a flange 112 on the end close to the cartridge 20. The cartridge 20 directly sleeves and engages to the flange 112. Alternatively, the cartridge 20 can also be threadedly connected to the flange 112. Further, a seal element (not shown) is provided between the flange 112 and the cartridge 20 for avoiding leakage of the smoke. The mouthpiece 10 is made of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic.
The cartridge 20 is approximately shaped as a cylinder, which includes a first shell 210 and a second shell 220 surrounding around the first shell 210. The mouthpiece 10 is fixed to the front end of the second shell 220. The cross sections of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 are two concentric circles with different radius. The radius of the cross section of the first shell 210 is small than that of the second shell 220. Alternatively, the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 have a rectangular or oval cross-section and so on. The interior of the first shell 210 forms a chimney 230 for air circulating. The area of the front opening of the chimney 230 is great for containing much more smoke. The inner wall of the second shell 220 and the outer wall of the first shell 210 cooperatively form a liquid reservoir 240, which is used for storing liquid. One end of the liquid reservoir 240 is sealed, and the other end is open; accordingly, it has an opening for outputting liquid. No fibers or other medium for storing liquid is configured in the liquid reservoir 240.
The atomizer assembly 30 includes an atomizer sleeve 310, a heating element 320, a base 330, and a liquid conductor 340 plugging the opening of the liquid reservoir 240. The heating element 320, the base 330 and the liquid conductor 340 are received in the atomizer sleeve 310.
The atomizer sleeve 310 is approximately shaped as a cylinder with two opening on the opposite ends, which is an electrical conductor. The atomizer sleeve 310 defines an air channel 250 communicated with the chimney 230. The front end of the atomizer sleeve 310 is fixed on the rear end of the second shell 220. The front end of the atomizer sleeve 310 has an internal thread, and the second shell 220 has an external thread, the front end of the atomizer sleeve 310 is connected to the rear end of the second shell 220 in thread. Alternatively, the atomizer sleeve 310 can be fixed to the second shell 220 by bonding, welding, and so on. The atomizer sleeve 310 is made of copper-nickel alloy and the like, or other non-metallic conductive materials.
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The assembly process of the electronic cigarette 100 is described as follows: first of all, the heating wire 324 twines around the wick 322, and received in the two apertures 334 of the base 330, and then the foregoing elements are loaded into the atomizer sleeve 310. The insulation sleeve 420, the power supply assembly 40 and the liquid conductor 340 are installed in sequence; and the cartridge 20 is filled with liquid and then loaded into the atomizer sleeve 310, the cartridge 20 is connected to the mouthpiece 110, finally the appropriate power is connected, and the process is finished. It should be understood that the assembly sequence can be adjusted as needed.
In use, as the arrows shown in the
In the foregoing electronic cigarette 100, the liquid reservoir 240 is formed by the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. The atomizer sleeve 310 and the electrical slice 410 cooperatively form the positive and negative electrodes; accordingly, the structure of the electronic cigarette 100 is simplified and the cost is saved. The heating element 320 is received in the two apertures 334 of the base 330 and clamped between the liquid conductor 340 and the base 330. The front end of the atomizer sleeve 310 is fixed to the rear end of the second shell 220. All of the foregoing components are tightly coupled to each other; accordingly, the stability is improved. Particularly, the heating element 320 is fixed between the liquid conductor 340 and the base 330, and its position is not easy to change, and the structural stability is great.
According to the embodiment, the atomizer sleeve 310 is integrally formed with the outer wall of the cartridge 20 (i.e. the outer wall of the second shell 220). The atomizer sleeve 310 is made of ABS plastic or other material non-metallic material, which is non-conductive. Another electric electrode is provided in the atomizer sleeve 310, which matches with the electrode slice 410 to form the power supply 40 and connected to the two electrical leads of the heating wire 324.
Example TwoThe electronic cigarette 100 of a second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, the different is that: the liquid conductor is made of ceramics, resin, or other rigid insulation materials but not silicone. The liquid conductor 340 seals and engages the opening of the liquid reservoir 240 by a seal ring 348. The base 330 is made of silicone; accordingly, the wick 322 can also be extruded by the liquid conductor 340, and the amount of the liquid absorbed by the wick 322 can be adjusted. Moreover, the axial space between the base 330 and the liquid conductor 340 can also be adjusted by the base 330.
Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the liquid conductor 340 is made of porous ceramics. The outlet hole 344 is formed by the micropores of the liquid conductor 340. The liquid is capable of permeating through the micropores to the front face of the base 330. Referring to
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features described above. Rather, the specific features described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the described technology.
Claims
1. An electronic cigarette, comprising:
- a cartridge having a liquid reservoir and a chimney, wherein the liquid reservoir defines an opening towards an end of the cartridge; and
- an atomizer assembly comprising: an atomizer sleeve defining an air channel communicated with the chimney; a liquid conductor received in the atomizer sleeve plugging the opening of the liquid reservoir; a base received in the atomizer sleeve axially abutting an end of the liquid conductor, wherein the base defines an aperture on a surface thereof communicated with the air channel; and a heating element positioned between the liquid conductor and the base; wherein the heating element comprises a linear wick and a heating wire twined around part of the wick, the wick without being twined by the heating wire is received in the aperture; wherein the liquid conductor defines an outlet hole allowing the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir to be transferred to the wick received in the aperture; the heating wire and the wick twined by the heating wire are received in the air channel.
2. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the liquid conductor is made of silicone.
3. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, the liquid conductor defines a first axially through hole; the base defines a second axially through hole; the air channel is formed by communicating the first axially through hole and the second axially through hole.
4. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the chimney is located in a center of the cartridge, the liquid reservoir is formed by an outer wall of the chimney and an inner wall of the cartridge.
5. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is filled with part of the wick without being twined by the heating wire.
6. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein part of the wick without being twined by the heating wire extends to the outlet hole.
7. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the atomizer sleeve is integrally formed with an outer wall of the cartridge.
8. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the first axially through hole is defined in a center of the liquid conductor, the second axially through hole is defined in a center of base; the number of the aperture is two, the two apertures are defined on two sides of the second axially through hole, respectively; the number of the outlet hole is two, the two outlet holes are communicated with the two apertures, respectively; the heating wire twines around a middle portion of the wick, two ends of the wick are received in the two apertures, respectively.
9. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the liquid conductor comprises a substrate and a boss located at a center of the substrate, the first axially through hole penetrates through the boss.
10. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the liquid conductor is made of rigid material, the base is made of silicone.
11. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, further comprising a seal ring positioned between the liquid conductor and the opening of the liquid reservoir.
12. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the liquid conductor is made of porous ceramics, the liquid conductor defines a plurality of micropores, the outlet hole is formed by the micropores.
13. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is spirally distributed on the surface the base starting from the air channel and extending to the outer periphery of the air channel.
14. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir is provided with an air pipe; one end of the air pipe is inserted into the outlet hole of the liquid conductor; the other end of the air pipe extends to the top of the liquid reservoir.
15. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the atomizer sleeve is conductive, an electrode slice is provided in the atomizer sleeve, the electrode slice is insulated to the atomizer sleeve; the heating wire is connected to the atomizer sleeve and the electrode slice, respectively.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 31, 2013
Publication Date: Apr 24, 2014
Applicant: SHENZHEN SMOORE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED (Shenzhen)
Inventor: Zhiping Chen (Shenzhen)
Application Number: 14/144,681
International Classification: A24F 47/00 (20060101);