KR102840404B1 - Liquid-type electronic cigarette device with configurable number of fume inhalations - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid-type electronic cigarette device includes a switch that converts a user input into a switch signal, a cartridge that stores nicotine liquid, a battery that supplies power to the electronic cigarette device, and a processor that controls the battery and the cartridge. When a user presses the switch to smoke and inhales vapor through a drip tip from which vapor is emitted, the switch signal causes current to flow from the battery to a coil of the cartridge, and the cartridge vaporizes the nicotine liquid through the coil to generate vapor. The processor can block the current from flowing from the battery to the coil in response to a case where the switch signal is input again after a specified number of times of vapor emission is recognized.

Description

Liquid-type electronic cigarette device with configurable number of fume inhalations

The technical idea of the present disclosure relates to a liquid-type electronic cigarette device, and more specifically, to an electronic cigarette device that controls vapor generation according to the number of times the smoke is inhaled and vaporizes the remaining nicotine liquid in the cartridge to the end using the siphon principle.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims of this application, and their inclusion in this section is not intended to be admitted as prior art.

Unlike regular cigarettes, an electronic cigarette device is a device that inhales liquid nicotine as vapor. Fig. 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of an electronic cigarette device. Referring to Fig. 1, the electronic cigarette device may be configured to include a cartridge (1), a battery section (2), a drip tip (3), a coil (4), a wick (5), liquid (6), a case (7), and a switch (8). The cartridge (1) is an atomizer section that vaporizes nicotine liquid. The battery section (2) supplies power to the electronic cigarette device, and the coil (4) is a section that heats the liquid using the power of the battery. The wick absorbs the liquid and supplies an appropriate amount of liquid to the coil (4), and the liquid is a material that creates a vapor, and when heated by the coil, it vaporizes and generates water vapor. The liquid is nicotine liquid (E-liquid, E-juice), a liquid containing nicotine and various flavorings, and the case (7) uses conductive material to protect the battery (2) and as a part that the user holds in his hand, and can also replace the battery (2). The switch (8) is configured to supply or cut off electricity to the coil (4) and convert user input into a digital signal.

Meanwhile, if users continuously inhale the vapor, the risk of nicotine addiction increases. E-cigarette liquid contains nicotine, and continuous inhalation can rapidly increase nicotine levels in the body, increasing the risk of nicotine addiction. This can cause symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, nausea, and increased heart rate.

Furthermore, prolonged, continuous inhalation of vapor can cause dry mouth, mouth irritation, and throat discomfort, which can negatively impact oral health. Furthermore, continuous inhalation of e-cigarettes can overheat the battery and atomizer of the e-cigarette device. This can lead to safety hazards such as device damage or battery explosion. Furthermore, continuous inhalation of e-cigarette devices can strengthen psychological dependence on the device, making it difficult for users to function without it. Furthermore, continuous inhalation of e-cigarette devices can increase the financial burden of continuously purchasing e-liquid. Frequent use can lead to rapid increases in liquid consumption. Furthermore, some chemicals contained in e-cigarette liquid can accumulate in the body due to continuous inhalation, potentially leading to long-term negative health effects.

As mentioned above, continuous smoking causes health problems for users and device problems, but existing electronic cigarette devices do not have a system that automatically recognizes continuous smoking by users and restricts continuous smoking.

Furthermore, conventional e-cigarette devices cannot vaporize even a small amount of nicotine liquid remaining in the cartridge, forcing users to replace the cartridge. Failure to properly vaporize the small amount of nicotine liquid remaining in the cartridge results in wasted liquid, forcing users to discard usable nicotine liquid. Consequently, users must purchase new cartridges, incurring additional costs. Frequent cartridge replacement can be a significant financial burden.

1. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2001441 (July 12, 2019) 2. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2683912 (July 8, 2024)

The technical idea of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic cigarette device that recognizes the number of consecutive puffs of smoke and controls vapor generation through software according to the recognized number of puffs to prevent continuous smoking.

In addition, the technical idea of the present disclosure is to solve a problem that prevents smoking by blocking the flow of current from the battery to the coil even if a physical switch is pressed when the smoke is inhaled more than a certain number of times.

In addition, the technical idea of the present disclosure is to solve a problem by determining whether a cartridge is a new replacement pod or an existing pod when it is separated and re-mounted, and if no response is received from the user for a certain period of time, determining that it is an existing pod.

In addition, the technical idea of the present disclosure is to solve a problem of counting the life of a cartridge based on the number of times smoke is inhaled and the time for inhaling smoke.

In addition, the technical idea of the present disclosure is to solve a problem by allowing a user to set the smoke intensity and to control the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil according to the set smoke intensity.

However, the problems to be solved according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above.

An electronic cigarette device according to an embodiment includes a switch that converts a user input into a switch signal, a cartridge that stores nicotine liquid, a battery that supplies power to the electronic cigarette device, and a processor that controls the battery and the cartridge, and when a user presses the switch to smoke and inhales vapor through a drip tip from which vapor is emitted, current flows from the battery to a coil of the cartridge by the switch signal, and the cartridge vaporizes the nicotine liquid through the coil to generate vapor, and the processor can block the current from flowing from the battery to the coil in response to a case where the switch signal is input again after a specified number of times of vapor emission is recognized.

Additionally, the processor can set a number of times specified by the user's input, count the switch signal to determine the number of times the user has smoked, and when the switch signal is input again after the user has smoked the set number of times, the power supply from the battery to the coil can be stopped.

In addition, the electronic cigarette device further includes a sensor that detects the removal and installation of the cartridge; the sensor transmits a signal for removing and installing the cartridge to the processor, and when the cartridge is removed and then reinstalled, the processor determines the re-installed cartridge as a replacement pod or an existing pod, and the replacement pod may be a new cartridge, and the existing pod may be the same cartridge as the previous cartridge. In addition, the processor may determine the reinstalled cartridge as an existing pod if no user response is returned for a certain period of time.

Additionally, the processor can count the lifespan of the cartridge based on the number of inhalations and the duration of the inhalation. Furthermore, the processor can measure the inhalation time for each inhalation by the user, and calculate the lifespan of the cartridge by deducting it in proportion to the measured inhalation time.

Additionally, the processor can set the smoke intensity through a switch signal input by the user, and adjust the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil according to the set smoke intensity.

The e-cigarette device described above detects the number of consecutive puffs and controls vapor production based on the detected number, thereby preventing users from repeatedly inhaling. This contributes to protecting the health of users and enhances the safety of e-cigarette device use.

In addition, when the vapor is inhaled more than a certain number of times through the embodiment, the current flow from the battery to the coil is blocked even if the physical switch is pressed, thereby preventing smoking, thereby preventing excessive use of the electronic cigarette device and preventing damage to the device and safety accidents.

In addition, when a cartridge is removed and re-installed through an embodiment, it is determined whether it is a new replacement pod or an existing pod, and if no response is received from the user for a certain period of time, it is determined to be an existing pod, thereby improving usability and preventing problems caused by incorrect cartridge recognition.

In addition, by counting the life of the cartridge based on the number of times the smoke is inhaled and the time for inhaling the smoke through the embodiment, the user can replace the cartridge appropriately, thereby enabling efficient use and management of the cartridge.

Furthermore, the embodiment allows users to set the smoke intensity, and the current sent from the battery to the coil can be adjusted based on the set smoke intensity, providing a personalized smoking experience. This increases user satisfaction and enables the use of e-cigarette devices tailored to individual preferences.

These effects, provided in the aforementioned embodiments, contribute to enhancing the safety of e-cigarette devices, protecting user health, and enhancing user convenience and satisfaction. Furthermore, they extend the life of e-cigarette devices and enable efficient management and maintenance.

The effects that can be obtained from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art to which the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure pertain from the following description. In other words, unintended effects resulting from implementing the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of an electronic cigarette device.
FIGS. 2A to 2F are drawings showing an electronic cigarette device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3 is a drawing showing a cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to one embodiment.
Figure 4 is a drawing showing a control flow diagram of an electronic cigarette device according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may have various modifications and various embodiments, and thus specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in connection therewith. However, this is not intended to limit the various embodiments of the present disclosure to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all modifications and/or equivalents or alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals have been used for similar components.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the expression "or" includes any and all combinations of the words listed together. For example, "A or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

The expressions "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may describe various components of the various embodiments, but do not limit those components. For example, the expressions do not limit the order and/or importance of the components, and may be used to distinguish one component from another.

When it is said that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but that new components may also exist between the component and the other component.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "module," "unit," "part," etc. are terms used to refer to components that perform at least one function or operation, and such components may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, a plurality of "modules," "units," "parts," etc. may be integrated into at least one module or chip and implemented as at least one processor, except in cases where each needs to be implemented as a separate, specific hardware.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

FIGS. 2A to 2F are drawings showing an electronic cigarette device (10) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2F, an electronic cigarette device (10) according to an embodiment is driven by the electronic cigarette device (10). In an embodiment, the electronic cigarette device (10) may be configured to include a switch (11), a drip tip (20), a cartridge (not shown in the drawing), a display screen (12), a battery, and a processor. In an embodiment, the switch (11) converts a user input into a switch signal, which is a digital signal. The drip tip (20) emits vapor, and the cartridge stores nicotine liquid. The battery supplies power to the electronic cigarette device (10). The display screen (12) outputs status information of the electronic cigarette, including the status of the cartridge, and setting information.

In an embodiment, the processor controls the operation of the electronic cigarette device (10) by controlling the battery and the cartridge. For example, when a user presses the switch (11) to smoke and inhales vapor through the drip tip (20), the processor causes current to flow from the battery to the coil of the cartridge by the switch signal, and the cartridge vaporizes nicotine liquid through the coil to generate vapor. In addition, in an embodiment, the processor blocks the current flow from the battery to the coil when the switch signal is input again after recognizing a predetermined number of vapor inhalations through the switch signal. The term "processor" as used herein should be interpreted to include software, hardware, or a combination thereof, depending on the context in which the term is used. For example, the software may be machine language, firmware, embedded code, and application software. As another example, the hardware may be a circuit, a processor, a computer, an integrated circuit, an integrated circuit core, a sensor, a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System), a passive device, or a combination thereof.

In Fig. 2a, a user can set the electronic cigarette device (10) by pressing a switch (11) while the electronic cigarette device (10) is turned on, and can check the settings of the electronic cigarette device (10) through a display screen (12). The settings of the electronic cigarette device (10) may include 'setting the number of inhalations', 'setting the lock time', and 'setting the smoke intensity'. The user can check the settings of the electronic cigarette device (10) that he or she has set before smoking, and can also change the settings by pressing the switch (11).

In Fig. 2b, the user can set the number of puffs of the electronic cigarette device (10) by pressing the switch (11). The number of puffs can increase by one each time the switch (11) is pressed.

The electronic cigarette device (10) according to the embodiment controls the generation of vapor based on the number of times the vapor is inhaled. In order to smoke, a user must inhale vapor through a drip tip while pressing a switch. When the user presses the switch, current flows from the battery to the coil, and the coil vaporizes the liquid to generate vapor. All existing liquid-type electronic cigarette devices (10) have a physical switch that a user can press located outside the case, and in the embodiment, the switch (11) is located outside the case of the electronic cigarette device (10).

However, the processor according to the embodiment blocks the flow of current from the battery to the coil when the smoke is inhaled more than the set number of inhalations, preventing smoking even when the physical switch (11) is pressed. In the embodiment, a certain number of inhalations can be set by the user, and the supply of current is blocked by software rather than a separate switch inside.

That is, the electronic cigarette device (10) according to the embodiment sets a certain number of times, and when the switch is pressed the set number of times to smoke, the processor stops supplying power from the battery to the coil. The certain number of times can be set by the user.

In an embodiment, the processor obtains user input, sets a predetermined number of times, and counts the switch signal to determine the number of times the user has smoked. Then, when the user has smoked the predetermined number of times, the processor stops supplying power from the battery to the coil. To this end, the processor inputs the maximum number of times the user is allowed to smoke during a predetermined period of time during the initial setup of the electronic cigarette device (10). The input value of the maximum number of times can be stored in a microcontroller or another processor. In an embodiment, a switch signal is used to detect smoking. For each smoking attempt, the switch is activated, generating a signal, and the generated signal is transmitted to the processor. The processor then counts the switch signal to track the current number of smokes. For example, each time a switch signal is received, the counter is incremented by 1. In an embodiment, when the current counter value reaches the maximum allowable number set by the user, the processor issues a command to block smoking. For example, the processor may control a relay or electronic switch that controls the power supply between the battery and the coil.

In FIG. 2c, the electronic cigarette device (10) can set a time for blocking current flow to the coil when a set number of puffs is inhaled. For example, a user can set a lock time for the electronic cigarette device by pressing a switch. The lock time can increase by 1 minute each time the switch is pressed. As another example, the user can set the lock time to 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes by incrementally increasing it each time the switch is pressed.

Previous liquid-based e-cigarette devices not only failed to determine whether to cut power to the coil based on the number of puffs, but also failed to determine how long the device would be restricted from operating. In other words, users need to be able to determine how long the device would be restricted between puffs based on their smoking situation, their willingness to quit, and their physical condition. However, previous liquid-based e-cigarette devices lacked such settings.

In contrast, the electronic cigarette device (10) according to the present embodiment can set a time period for limiting the operation of the electronic cigarette device (10) after inhaling a vapor exceeding a set number of puffs. The operation of the electronic cigarette device (10) may include an operation of supplying power from a battery to a coil, and a setting action that changes the settings of the electronic cigarette device (10) may be excluded.

The processor's counter counts the switch signals to track the current number of smokes. When the counter reaches a maximum count, the processor sends a signal to deactivate the relay or turn off the electronic switch for a set lockout time. In one embodiment, after a set amount of time has elapsed, the processor resets the counter so that the number of smokes can be counted again for the next day or the next event.

The processor may initiate the countdown of the lock time in response to the puff count counter reaching the maximum count. For example, if the lock time is set to 15 minutes, the processor may initiate a 15-minute countdown when the puff count counter reaches the maximum count, and activate the operation of the electronic cigarette device (10) when the countdown reaches 0. In other words, the processor may block the switch signal from being transmitted to the battery while the lock time countdown is activated. Accordingly, even if the user presses the switch, the switch signal may not be transmitted to the battery, thereby limiting the operation of the electronic cigarette device. In contrast, the processor may be configured to respond to the switch signal during the setting operation of the electronic cigarette device, and the number of puffs, the lock time, and the smoke intensity may be set in response to the switch signal even while the lock time countdown is activated.

In Figure 2d, the e-cigarette device can set the vapor intensity. For example, a user can set the vapor intensity of the e-cigarette device by pressing a switch. The lock time can increase by one level each time the switch is pressed, and the vapor intensity can be categorized into "weak," "medium," and "strong."

Specifically, the processor sets the mist intensity through a switch signal input by the user, and adjusts the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil according to the set mist intensity. For example, the user can set the mist intensity through a switch signal such as pressing a button or rotating a dial. Each intensity level is mapped to a specific current value by the processor. In addition, the processor adjusts the intensity of the current sent to the coil according to the set mist intensity. In an embodiment, the intensity of the current can be adjusted using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). PWM is a technology that adjusts the average value of the current by turning the current on and off for a certain period of time. Through this, the processor can adjust the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil according to the set mist intensity.

In one embodiment, the lifespan of the cartridge can be counted based on the number of inhalations and the time for which the inhalation takes place. Since the inhalation time varies for each user during each cigarette, and the longer a user inhales, the faster the cartridge lifespan can be shortened, the deducted lifespan of the cartridge can be calculated in proportion to the number of inhalations and the time for which the inhalation takes place. In addition, a user using the electronic cigarette device (10) according to the embodiment can set the inhalation intensity, and the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil can be adjusted based on the set inhalation intensity.

That is, the processor can count the life of the cartridge based on the number of puffs and the duration of the puffs. For example, the processor measures the puff time for each puff per user and calculates that the cartridge's life is deducted in proportion to the measured puff time. In an embodiment, the processor can calculate the deducted life of the cartridge according to mathematical equation 1.

Mathematical formula 1

Cartridge life = Number of inhalations x inhalation time

To this end, the processor detects when the user begins and ends smoking and measures the inhalation time. This can be implemented primarily using an inhalation detection sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor, a microphone, etc.). The cartridge's lifespan is then deducted in proportion to the inhalation time. For example, the lifespan can be set to decrease by a certain percentage (e.g., 1%) for each inhalation time (e.g., 1 second). In an embodiment, the initial lifespan of the cartridge is set and the lifespan is managed by accumulating the user's inhalation time. In an embodiment, the remaining lifespan of the cartridge is updated in real time and replacement is recommended when the lifespan expires.

In FIGS. 2E and 2F, the processor of the electronic cigarette device (10) can determine whether a cartridge is a new replacement pod or an existing pod when removed and re-installed. In an embodiment, if no response is received from the user for a certain period of time, the existing pod is determined to be the same.

In an embodiment, the electronic cigarette device (10) may further include a sensor that detects the removal and installation of the cartridge. In an embodiment, the sensor transmits a signal for removing and installing the cartridge to the processor. In an embodiment, when the cartridge is removed and then reinstalled, the processor determines the reinstalled cartridge as a replacement pod or an existing pod. In this case, the replacement pod is a new cartridge, and the existing pod is the same cartridge as the previous cartridge.

For this purpose, in the embodiment, the sensor that detects the removal and installation of the cartridge can mainly use a physical contact sensor, a proximity sensor, an optical sensor, etc. The sensor transmits a signal to the processor when the cartridge is removed or installed. In the embodiment, a unique identifier (e.g., RFID, barcode, serial number, etc.) is assigned to the cartridge, and the unique identifier is readable by the processor to distinguish between a new cartridge and an existing cartridge. In the embodiment, each time a cartridge is installed, the processor reads the unique identifier of the cartridge. Thereafter, the identifier data is compared with the identifier of the previous cartridge stored in the memory or database. If the identifier of the newly installed cartridge is different from the previously stored identifier, it is determined to be a new cartridge (replacement pod). Conversely, if the identifiers are the same, it is determined to be an existing cartridge (existing pod).

Additionally, the processor can determine the existing pod if no user response is received for a certain period of time. To this end, a timer is set that measures a certain amount of time after the cartridge is mounted. This timer is implemented within the processor, and if there is no response for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 seconds), the existing pod is determined. In the embodiment, after the cartridge is mounted, a user response (e.g., pressing a button, touching the screen, etc.) is waited for. If a user response is received, it is processed and determined as a replacement pod or an existing pod. If the timer expires without a user response (e.g., after 10 seconds), the existing pod is automatically determined.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, in an embodiment, the cartridge may be configured to include a coil (31) for vaporizing nicotine liquid and ribs (32, 33). In an embodiment, the ribs (32, 33) are configured to utilize the siphon principle and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of a tube (34) connected to the coil (31). This allows the nicotine liquid to be properly supplied to the coil. In an embodiment, the ribs (32, 33) move the remaining nicotine liquid below a certain amount to the coil when the amount of nicotine liquid in the cartridge is below a certain amount. In an embodiment, the coil is located in the middle or upper portion of the cartridge.

In an embodiment, the cartridge has ribs (32, 33) arranged symmetrically on both sides based on a coil that moves liquid inside the cartridge using a siphon principle. The siphon principle is a method of moving fluid between two liquid reservoirs from one side to the other by using gravity and pressure differences. This principle is used to naturally move liquid from a higher location to a lower location using a physical structure. In an embodiment, the ribs (32, 33) start from the bottom of the cartridge and are connected toward the coil. For example, one end of the ribs (32, 33) may be located near the bottom of the cartridge, and the other end may extend near the coil (31). When the nicotine liquid in the cartridge is sufficient, the liquid is naturally filled in the tube (34) connected to the coil (31). However, when the nicotine liquid is reduced below a certain capacity, the ribs (32, 33) are not submerged in the liquid, and an air pressure difference occurs inside the ribs (32, 33), and the nicotine liquid moves toward the coil (31) due to the pressure difference and gravity generated in the ribs (32, 33). In this process, the liquid remaining at the bottom of the cartridge can naturally flow toward the coil (31) through the ribs (32, 33).

In one embodiment, the cartridge prevents air from entering the tube (34) connected to the coil while the siphon principle is in operation. In one embodiment, all joints connected to the tube (34) are sealed to prevent air from entering. To achieve this, the joints are sealed using rubber packing or silicone seals. In addition, the cartridge according to one embodiment may configure a one-way valve inside the tube, allowing liquid to pass through the valve but preventing air from passing through. In one embodiment, the valve may be installed at the end or middle of the tube.

In the embodiment, once a siphon is formed by the ribs (32, 33), the liquid continues to move, and this principle operates until the liquid in the cartridge is almost completely consumed, moving the remaining nicotine liquid to the coil (31). In the embodiment, the cartridge continues the vaporization process when the remaining nicotine liquid moves to the coil by gravity and pressure difference. In the embodiment, when the nicotine liquid reaches the coil (31), the coil (31) is heated to vaporize the liquid. In the embodiment, since the liquid in the cartridge continues to move to the coil (31) by the siphon principle, the vaporization process can continue without interruption.

In the embodiment, the coil of the cartridge is positioned in the middle or upper part of the cartridge, and in existing cartridges, when the liquid level decreases, the liquid is not transferred to the coil. In contrast, in the embodiment, even when there is a small amount of liquid remaining, the siphon principle is utilized to transfer the liquid to the coil (31) and enable smoking through vaporization.

Hereinafter, let us examine Fig. 4. The method for controlling an electronic cigarette device (10) illustrated in Fig. 4 can be performed by an electronic cigarette device (10) including a processor.

Meanwhile, Fig. 4 is merely exemplary, and the spirit of the present invention is not limited to what is illustrated in Fig. 4. For example, each step may be configured in a different order than that illustrated in Fig. 4, at least one of the steps illustrated in Fig. 4 may not be performed, or one or more steps not illustrated in Fig. 4 may be additionally performed.

Since the operation (function) of the control method of the electronic cigarette device (10) according to the embodiment is essentially the same as the function of the electronic cigarette device (10), when describing FIG. 4, any description overlapping with FIGS. 1 to 3 will be omitted.

Fig. 4 is a drawing showing a control process of an electronic cigarette device (10) according to an embodiment.

At stage S100, a switch signal is used to recognize a certain number of inhalations, and at stage S200, an additional switch for smoking is recognized. At stage S300, the current flow from the battery to the coil is blocked.

The electronic cigarette device (10) described above recognizes the number of consecutive puffs of smoke and controls vapor generation based on the recognized number of puffs, thereby preventing the user from continuously inhaling the electronic cigarette device (10). This contributes to protecting the user's health and enhances the safety of using the electronic cigarette device (10).

In addition, when the smoke is inhaled more than a certain number of times through the embodiment, the current flow from the battery to the coil is blocked even if the physical switch is pressed, thereby preventing smoking, thereby preventing excessive use of the electronic cigarette device (10) and preventing damage to the device and safety accidents.

In addition, when a cartridge is removed and re-installed through an embodiment, it is determined whether it is a new replacement pod or an existing pod, and if no response is received from the user for a certain period of time, it is determined to be an existing pod, thereby improving usability and preventing problems caused by incorrect cartridge recognition.

In addition, by counting the life of the cartridge based on the number of times the smoke is inhaled and the time for inhaling the smoke through the embodiment, the user can replace the cartridge appropriately, thereby enabling efficient use and management of the cartridge.

Additionally, the embodiment allows users to set the smoke intensity and adjust the current from the battery to the coil based on the set smoke intensity, thereby providing a customized smoking experience to the user. This increases user satisfaction and enables the use of the electronic cigarette device (10) tailored to individual preferences.

These effects provided in the aforementioned embodiments contribute to enhancing the safety of use of the electronic cigarette device (10), protecting the health of users, and enhancing user convenience and satisfaction. Furthermore, they extend the life of the electronic cigarette device and enable efficient management and maintenance.

Meanwhile, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented in the form of an application or software program that can be installed on an existing electronic device.

Additionally, the method, in whole or in part, may be implemented in an operating system (OS) by being comprised of multiple software function modules. Alternatively, each step may be comprised of a single software function module, or each step may be combined into a single software function module and implemented in the OS. Accordingly, even if some embodiments of the present disclosure are not implemented entirely as a single software function module, if multiple software function modules implement each step of the present disclosure and the multiple software function modules are implemented in a single operating system, the method of the present disclosure may be understood to be implemented.

Furthermore, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented solely through software or hardware upgrades for existing electronic devices. Furthermore, the various embodiments of the present invention described above can also be performed via an embedded server included in the electronic device or an external server of the electronic device.

Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the various embodiments described above may be implemented as software including instructions stored on a computer-readable recording medium that can be read by a computer or similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the processor itself. In a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

Meanwhile, a computer or similar device may include a device according to the disclosed embodiments, which is a device capable of recalling instructions stored in a storage medium and operating according to the recalled instructions. When the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor may directly, or under the control of the processor, perform a function corresponding to the instructions using other components. The instructions may include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter.

A recording medium that can be read by a machine can be provided in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Here, 'non-transitory' means that the storage medium does not contain a signal and is tangible, but does not distinguish between whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium. In this case, a non-transitory computer-readable medium means a medium that semi-permanently stores data and can be read by a machine, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

As described above, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification. While specific terminology has been used to describe embodiments herein, it is intended solely to illustrate the technical concept of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present disclosure should be defined by the technical concept of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

In liquid electronic cigarette devices,
A switch that converts user input into a switch signal;
A cartridge that stores nicotine liquid;
A battery that supplies power to the above electronic cigarette device;
A processor controlling the above batteries and cartridges;
A sensor that detects the separation and mounting of a cartridge and transmits a signal for the separation and mounting of the cartridge to the processor;
When a user presses the switch to smoke and inhales the vapor through the drip tip, the switch signal causes current to flow from the battery to the coil of the cartridge, and the cartridge vaporizes the nicotine liquid through the coil to generate water vapor.
The above processor
The number of times and the lock time are set by the user's input, the number of times the user smokes is counted by counting the switch signal, and in response to the counted number of times the user smokes reaches the specified number, the countdown of the lock time is started, and even if the user presses the switch while the countdown of the lock time is activated, the switch signal is blocked from being transmitted to the battery, thereby cutting off the power supply from the battery to the coil.
When the above sensor detects that the cartridge is mounted, a certain amount of time is measured from the time the cartridge is mounted, and when there is no response for the certain amount of time, the mounted cartridge is determined to be the previous cartridge.
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device characterized in that, if there is a response within the above-mentioned time, the unique identifier of the cartridge is read, compared with the unique identifier of the previous cartridge stored in the memory, and if the unique identifier of the mounted cartridge and the previous cartridge are the same, the mounted cartridge is determined to be the same cartridge as the previous cartridge, and if the unique identifier of the mounted cartridge and the previous cartridge are different, the cartridge is determined to be a new cartridge. delete delete delete In the first paragraph, the processor
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device that counts the life of a cartridge based on the number of puffs and the time for which said puffs are inhaled. In the fifth paragraph, the processor
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device that measures the inhalation time for a user to inhale smoke each time he or she smokes, and calculates the life of the cartridge by deducting it in proportion to the measured inhalation time. In the first paragraph, the processor
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device that sets the smoke intensity through a switch signal input by a user and adjusts the intensity of the current sent from the battery to the coil according to the set smoke intensity. In the first paragraph, the cartridge,
A coil that heats and vaporizes nicotine liquid; and
When the capacity of the nicotine liquid in the cartridge is less than a certain capacity, a rib is included that induces the movement of the remaining nicotine liquid less than a certain capacity to the coil;
The above coil is
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device located in the middle or upper part of the cartridge. In the 8th paragraph, the cartridge
A liquid-type electronic cigarette device, which continues the vaporization process of the nicotine liquid when the nicotine liquid remaining in the cartridge below a certain amount moves to the coil due to the difference in pressure between gravity and the nicotine liquid.