JP6592488B2 - Electronic cigarette - Google Patents

Description

  Electronic cigarettes are increasingly used by smokers as a substitute for genuine cigarettes. In general, electronic cigarettes use wire coil heaters to evaporate liquid nicotine or other liquid substances. When the user inhales at the mouthpiece, it is detected by a sensor, causing the electronic circuit to supply current from the battery to the heater. The liquid comes into contact with the wire coil heater and creates a vapor or mist. In addition, when a user inhales, ambient air is typically drawn into one or more air intakes of the electronic cigarette housing. Vapor is mixed into the flow of air traveling through the housing and is inhaled by the user.

  Electronic cigarettes have many advantages over real cigarettes. First, tar and other chemicals in cigarettes associated with lung cancer are simply not present in electronic cigarettes, greatly avoiding the risk of lung cancer associated with real cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes generate steam or mist and do not emit smoke. As a result, there are no similar problems with passive smoking in the use of electronic cigarettes. Also, since there is no burning material in electronic cigarettes, the risk of fire is eliminated.

  Many electronic cigarette designs have been proposed and used with varying degrees of success. There are various disadvantages such as existing designs but short lifetimes, insufficient spraying, non-uniform vapor caused by different droplet sizes, and overheated vapor. Therefore, there is a need to improve electronic cigarettes.

  New electronic cigarettes have now been invented that offer significant improvements over existing designs. In this new electronic cigarette, the mesh element is in contact with the liquid storage. The heater is arranged to heat air flowing away from the mesh element and flowing through the mesh element. The heated air evaporates the liquid in or on the mesh. Vapor is inhaled by the user.

  In another aspect, the heater may be disposed within a heater housing having an air passage aligned with a central opening extending through the liquid storage. Alternatively, an annular channel around the outside of the liquid storage may be used.

  Current electronic cigarettes may include a battery in a housing that is electrically connected to a flow sensor, a circuit board, and a heater. The flow path through the housing may be formed through one or more inlets in the housing, a passage including a heater, and a central opening extending through the liquid reservoir to the exhaust port.

  In another aspect, a method of evaporating electronic cigarette liquid includes sending liquid from a liquid storage to a mesh element. The electric current is supplied to the heater in response to the detection of inhalation at the exhaust port or electronic cigarette mouthpiece. Heated air that evaporates liquid on or in the mesh element, where the heater heats the air and the heated air is sent through the mesh element. The evaporated liquid can be entrained in the heated air and then flow through the liquid storage to the mouthpiece or flow around the liquid storage.

  Still other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, provided by way of example, and are not intended as a limitation specification of the invention. Moreover, the present invention exists in sub-combinations of the described elements and steps.

  In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate like elements in the different figures.

It is sectional drawing of an electronic cigarette. FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of components of the electronic cigarette shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic sectional drawing of other embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the schematic components shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic cigarette has a housing 10 that optionally includes a front portion 12 attached to a rear portion 14 by screws or other attachments. . Battery 16 and the circuit board 24 may be housed inside the front portion 12, the circuit board 24 is further described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 208,257, which is incorporated herein by reference as it is connected flow sensor 20 and the heater coil 40 electrically. The liquid storage (liquid storage part) 34 is accommodated in the rear part 14 of the housing 10. Liquid storage 34 may be a textile material, equipped as part of a directly lump or be fitted loosely (lump), or another component or or its in the cartridge into the rear portion 14 of the housing May be. The liquid storage may contain liquid nicotine or another liquid for evaporation and inhalation. Other materials such as foam or porous metal or ceramic may optionally be used as the liquid storage 34.

The heater coil 40 may be disposed in the passage 38 through the heater support 28. A heater housing, such as a ceramic material, is secured within the housing. An optional collector 30 may be attached to the rear end of the heater support 28 and a passage also extends through the center of the collector 30. If used, the collector 30 may be made of a Silastic ™ silicone elastomer, or other high temperature inert silicone elastomer or plastic material.

  The mesh element or screen 32 at the front end of the liquid reservoir 34 is slightly spaced from the rear end of the collector 30, and the dimension BB is about 0.5-2, or 4 mm, and typically about 1 mm. The mesh 32 may be glass fiber or other porous material and can suck up liquid storage liquids such as liquid nicotine. The mesh 32 may have a thickness in the range of about 0.1-2 mm, 0.2-1 mm, or 0.3-0.6 mm, a typical 4 mm, or the dimension AA of FIG.

  The opening 36 extends from the mesh 32 through the center of the liquid storage 34 to the exhaust port 42 at the rear end of the housing 10. The flow path may be formed through the housing 10 through one or more inlets 18, through openings of the sensors 20, flow pipes 22, passages 38, and openings 36 leading to the exhaust ports 42. Unless indicated otherwise, the position of the components shown in the drawings is not critical, and the components may be repositioned as needed or desired.

  Further, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the usage example, the user inhales through the exhaust port 42. The sensor 20 detects inhalation and supplies a current to the heater coil 40. Air is sucked into the flow path of the housing through the intake port 18. The airflow passes through the passage 38 and is heated by the heater coil 40. The amount of heating may vary depending on the design. As an example, an air temperature of 200-300 ° C. at the exit of the passageway may be used by adjusting the power of the heater and the air flow characteristics through or past the heater. When used, the collector 30 may help collect hot air and direct it to the mesh 32. The collector 30 may also be used to space the heater coil 40 and the heater support 28 away from the mesh 32. The collector may optionally be part of the heater support 28.

  The mesh 32 is provided as a thin sheet or layer and has a sufficiently open structure so that heated air can pass through without excessive flow resistance. The mesh 32 may be a sheet or layer of loose glass fiber, glass fiber fabric or similar material that can draw up and hold liquid on the surface of the fibers and / or between the fibers and allow air to pass through. Good. Alternatively, a heat resistant foam material may be used instead of the mesh.

  The heated air flows through the mesh 32. This heats the liquid in or on the mesh and atomizes or vaporizes the liquid. The steam is mixed with the heated air and continues to flow from the mesh 32 through the opening 36 and the exhaust 42 with a mixture of air and steam inhaled by the user. As the heated air passes through the mesh 32 and opening 36, it can cool significantly, so the user inhales air from the exhaust at a pleasant temperature of, for example, 25-50 ° C.

  FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative design with similar operation, but as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air flow path extends around the outside of the liquid storage element 54 rather than through the liquid storage. It has. In the alternative design of FIGS. 3 and 4, the liquid storage is surrounded by an annular channel 56 and leads from the fabric or mesh tube 52 to the exhaust 42. Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mesh tube 52 has a plate portion 62 in contact with the liquid storage. The neck portion 64 of the mesh tube 52 extends from the plate portion 62 toward the heater 28. The liquid in the liquid reservoir 54 is sucked into the neck portion 64 through the plate portion. The heated air diffusing radially outward through the neck creates a mist or vapor that vaporizes the liquid, which is drawn through the channel 56 and inhaled by the user. . The woven tube 62 is made of twill and may be cut with a hot blade to prevent fraying of the cut end. Of course, the thin flat mesh component 32 shown in FIG. 2 may also be used in embodiments having an annular channel 56 as shown in FIG.

In the design described above, the liquid does not contact the heater coil directly. This avoids loss of heating efficiency due to deposits and liquid residues that collect in the heater coil 40. Since the thermal shock and corrosion on the heater coil are reduced , the life of the heater coil can be extended. Further, since the liquid is evaporated at a low temperature, the evaporation is improved. The heater coil itself can operate at a temperature in the range of 500 ° C. This can cause a chemical change in the liquid as it evaporates. Chemical changes that occur during evaporation can be reduced by avoiding contact between the heater coil and the liquid and by using heated air to evaporate the liquid.

  Further, since the heater coil 40 does not contact the liquid, the heater coil may be plated with a corrosion resistant material, such as silver or nickel chrome. The use of these types of materials that will decompose when contacted by a liquid extends the life of the heater coil. Because the life of the heater coil can be much longer, the heater coil can be manufactured as a reusable part rather than a disposable item, as is usual in existing designs. This allows for low costs.

In existing known electronic cigarettes, the heating device or coil must first heat the nicotine liquid before the liquid can evaporate. In the electronic cigarette of the present invention , the heater coil 40 heats air instead of liquid, so this first step is omitted. Thus, the new design described herein also achieves faster evaporation compared to known designs.

  In this way, new designs have been shown and described. Of course, various changes and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited except as by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (14)

An electronic cigarette comprising a housing (10) and a heater (40) in the housing,
Wherein the housing (10) comprises a flat thin layer of mesh materials (32), a flat thin layer of the mesh materials (32) is in contact with the liquid in the housing (10),
So that the liquid body is not in direct contact with said heater (40), and air heated by the heater (40) is, the mesh materials flat thin layer of (32) through the flow Rutotomoni the mesh material The heater (40) is disposed longitudinally spaced from the flat thin layer (32) of the mesh material so as to evaporate liquid on or in the flat thin layer (32) of the material; Electronic cigarette characterized by that . The heater (40) is in the heater support (28) having a housing (10) air passage in a row with the central opening (36) extending through the liquid storage portion (34) in (38) It is provided, the electronic cigarette of claim 1. Wherein wherein the heater support (28) in contact with co-director (30) further, the collector, the are mesh materials flat thin layer from (32) spaced apart less than 4 mm, the electronic cigarette of claim 2 . Flat thin layer of the mesh materials (32) comprises a fibrous material having a thickness of less than 2 mm, the electronic cigarette of claim 1. The outer region of the flat thin layer (32) of the mesh material is in contact with the liquid, and the inner region of the flat thin layer (32) of the mesh material passes through the liquid reservoir (34). The electronic cigarette according to claim 2 , wherein the cigarette covers the central opening (36) that extends . The housing (10) one or more air inlet in the said heater a passage (38) including (40), a central opening that extends to the exhaust port through the liquid storage portion (34) (42) parts and a (36), said housing body (1) further comprises passing Ru passage, the heater is adjacent to the one or more inlet than all of the liquid in the housing, claim 2. The electronic cigarette according to 2. A battery (16) electrically connected to the flow sensor (20) and the electronic circuit in the housing (10);
The heater (40) is a heater coil of the heater support (28) in longitudinally spaced from a flat thin layer of the mesh materials (32), wherein the heater coil is electrically connected to the electronic circuit And
Includes a passage (38) before Symbol heater inside support (28), a central opening which extends to a liquid reservoir (34) and through an exhaust port (42) and (36), the housing (10) The electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , further comprising an air flow path . Said air flow path, said housing (10) one or more air inlet in a further comprises an opening of said flow rate sensor (12), the electronic cigarette of claim 7. A method for evaporating liquid in an electronic cigarette having a heater (40) in a housing (10),
And directing the liquid to the plane thin layers of mesh materials (32),
Supplying current to the heater (40);
Heating air via the heater (40),
As liquids do not contact the heater (40) directly, and the heated air, the mesh material with directed downstream through the mesh materials flat thin layer (32) from said heater The heater (40) is longitudinally spaced from the flat thin layer (32) of the mesh material so as to evaporate liquid on or in the flat thin layer (32) of material. And how to. And forming the vaporized liquid is mixed with the heated air, a mixture of vaporized liquid and heated air,
The mixture, a liquid storage portion (34) central opening in the (36) a through an exhaust port (42) or the flow Succoth,
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: Placing the heater (40) in the passage of the heater support ;
The air passes through the passage, and the surrounding air is taken into the housing (10) through the intake port of the housing (10) ;
The method of claim 10, further comprising: Comprises placing the heater in the through passage in the heater support (28) (38) within said central opening of said liquid reservoir portion (34) (36) of the heater in the support (28) The method according to claim 10, having a length that is at least five times greater than the length of the passage (38). The air, when directed through a flat thin layer of the mesh materials (32), is heated to 2 00 ° C. to 300 ° C., The method of claim 9. After the heated air has passed through the flat thin layer of the mesh materials (32), to lead the heated air through said liquid reservoir (34) to the surrounding and the annular channel (56) The method of claim 9 further comprising:

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