Patent Application
20180310629
The present disclosure relates to electronic cigarette, and particularly to an air adjusting mechanism, an electronic cigarette having the air adjusting mechanism, and a method of the air adjusting.
In general, an electronic cigarette is provided with an air adjusting mechanism, and a user can adjust the air inlet through the air adjusting mechanism to set the desired amount of airflow. A user, however, needs to manually adjust the electronic cigarette to control the amount of airflow, resulting in poor user experience. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electronic cigarette that can automatically adjust the air intake.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
For a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this disclosure, specific embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are a part but not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments possible by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
In actual application, the pre-stored relationship data between the operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 and the preset rotation number of the motor 113 can be a directly corresponding relationship data between the atomizer 20 and the motor 113, or be the corresponding relationship data between the operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 with the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111, and the corresponding relationship data between the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113. When the pre-stored relationship data is the latter choice, the controller 123 can get the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 according to the corresponding relationship data between the operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 with the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111, and then the preset number of rotations of the motor 113 is ensured according to the corresponding relationship data between the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113, and the motor 113 is controlled to rotate.
The initial position can be a zero position or a final position. The zero position is the position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112 when the amount of air intake is zero because the first air inlet 114 and the second air inlet 115 are completely offset. The final position is the position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112 when the amount of air intake is at maximum and the first air inlet 114 and the second air inlet 115 are fully aligned.
In the first embodiment of the air adjusting mechanism 10, an end of the motor 113 matches the inner wall of the air adjusting inner ring 111 via gears.
Furthermore, a stopping member 116 is positioned on an inner wall of the air adjusting inner ring 111, and the stopping member 116 stops negative or further rotation of the air adjusting inner ring 111 in an initial position. The controller 123 can determine that the air adjusting inner ring 111 has been rotated to an initial position.
Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the initial position is the final position. When the air adjusting inner ring 111 rotates anticlockwise to the final position, the stopping member 116 stops negative or further rotation of the air adjusting inner ring 111. Therefore, the controller 123 can determine that the air adjusting inner ring 111 has been rotated to the final position. When the air adjusting inner ring 111 rotates in reverse direction, the air adjusting inner ring can be rotated from the final position to a preset position.
Furthermore, the air adjusting assembly 11 is positioned on the atomizer 20. The atomizer 20 includes a base connecting member 21, a liquid storage assembly 22, and an atomizing head 23. An end of the air adjusting assembly 11 is connected to the base connecting member 21, and another end of the air adjusting assembly 11 is connected to the liquid storage assembly 22. The end of the base connecting member 21 opposite to the liquid storage assembly is connected to the battery assembly 30. The inner cavity of the liquid storage assembly 22 forms a smoke channel 24. An end of the atomizing head 23 is mounted in the inner cavity of the base connecting member 21, and the other end of the atomizing head 23 passes through the inner cavity of the air adjusting assembly 11 for insertion into the smoke channel 24. The end of the motor 113 away from the air adjusting inner ring 111 is mounted in the inner cavity of the base connecting member 21.
Furthermore, the atomizer 20 further includes a cigarette holder 25, the smoke channel 25 is mounted on the other end of the liquid storage assembly 22 opposite to the base connecting member 21. The smoke holder 25 communicates with the smoke passage 24. The smoke holder 25 is connected with the smoke channel 24.
The first embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic cigarette 1. The electronic cigarette includes an atomizer 20 and a battery assembly 30, and further includes the air adjusting mechanism 10.
In step S101, the user inputs the expected operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 via the input device 121, and then proceeds to step S102;
In step S102, the controller 123 controls the motor 113 to rotate so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 returns to the final position, and then proceeds to step S103;
In step S103, the controller 123 controls the motor 113 to rotate a preset rotation number according to the pre-stored relationship data between the pre-stored working power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113, so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 is rotated from the final position to the preset position. The pre-stored relationship data includes the corresponding relationship data between the operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 with the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111, and the corresponding relationship data between the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113.
In other embodiments, the end of the motor 113 can be matched with the air adjusting outer ring 112 via gears, the steps of the air adjusting method of this condition can refer to the method described above.
The control system 13 includes a sensor 131, a storage 132, and a controller 133. The input device 121 can include the sensor 131 as an automatic input device. The sensor 131 is positioned on the atomizer 20. The storage 132 and the controller 133 are positioned on the battery assembly 30. The sensor 131, the storage 132, and the motor 113 are electrically connected to the controller 133. The controller 133 is also electrically connected to the battery assembly 30. The sensor 131 is configured to detect the value of a relative physical quantity x which is related to the amount of air intake. The storage 132 is configured to pre-store corresponding relationship data between the value of the relative physical quantity x and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113. The controller 133 is configured to control the motor 113 to rotate so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112 is returned to the initial position, and is further used to control the preset rotation of the motor 113 according to the pre-stored corresponding relationship data, so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 or air adjusting outer ring 112 is rotated from the initial position to a preset position. Thus the amount of air will satisfy the requirement of the value of the relative physical quantity x.
In the second embodiment, the pre-stored corresponding relationship data between the value of the relative physical quantity x and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113 may include a directly corresponding relationship date between the x and the motor 113, or include a corresponding relationship data between the value of the relative physical quantity x and preset positions of the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112, and a corresponding relationship data between the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112 with the preset number of rotations of the motor 113. When the pre-stored corresponding relationship data between the value of the relative physical quantity x and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113 is the latter choice, the controller 133 determines the preset position of the air adjusting inner ring 111 or the air adjusting outer ring 112 according to the relative physical quantity x, and then determines the preset number of rotations of the motor 113 according to the preset position, and the motor 113 is controlled to rotate.
The relative physical quantity x is at least one of the temperature of the smoke, the humidity of the smoke, and the strength of vacuum applied to the cigarette holder 25 when the user inhales. When the temperature of the smoke is high or the smoke is dry or the vacuum pressure applied is high, it is necessary to increase the air intake amount. When the temperature of the smoke is low or the humidity of the smoke is wet or the vacuum pressure is small, it is necessary to reduce the air intake amount.
Accordingly, in order to detect the value of the relative physical x, the sensor 131 may include at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a vacuum pressure sensor.
When the sensor 131 includes a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor can be positioned in the inner cavity of the cigarette holder 25, or positioned in the smoke channel 24, or positioned at inside the atomizing head 23, or positioned near the atomizing head 23.
When the sensor 131 includes a humidity sensor, the humidity sensor can be positioned in the inner cavity of the cigarette holder 25, or positioned in the smoke channel 24, or positioned at inside the atomizing head 23, or positioned near the atomizing head 23.
When the sensor 131 includes a vacuum pressure sensor, the sensor can be positioned close to the inner cavity wall of the cigarette holder 25, or positioned at inside the wall of the cigarette holder 25, or attached to the outer wall of the cigarette holder 25.
The storage 132 is further configured to store the value of the relative physical quantity x detected by the sensor 131.
The second embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic cigarette 2. The electronic cigarette 2 includes an atomizer 20 and a battery assembly 30, and further includes the air adjusting mechanism 40.
In step S201, the sensor 131 detects the value of the relative physical quantity x and feeds back the value of the relative physical quantity x to the controller 133. Then proceed to step S202.
In actual application, after the sensor 131 detected the value of the relative physical quantity x, the value of the relative physical quantity x is stored in the storage 132. Alternatively, the sensor 131 feeds back the value of the relative physical quantity x to the controller 133, and the controller 133 control the value of the relative physical quantity x to be stored in the storage 132.
In step S202, the controller 133 controls the motor 113 to rotate so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 returns to the initial position, and then proceed to step S203.
In step S203, the controller 133 controls the preset rotation of the motor 113 according to the corresponding relationship data between the pre-stored value of the correlation physical quantity x and the preset number of rotations of the motor 113, so that the air adjusting inner ring 111 is rotated from the initial position to the preset position. Then proceed to step S204. The corresponding relationship data is already described in the second embodiment, there is no need to repeat.
In step S204, the electronic cigarette 2 operates for a period of time after adjusting the amount of air intake, and then proceed to step S205.
In step S205, the sensor 131 detects a later value of the relative physical quantity x and feeds back such value to the controller 133. Then, the process proceeds to step S206.
In actual application, after the sensor 131 redetected the value of the relative physical quantity x, the process proceeds to step S206.
In step S206, the controller 133 compares the later detected value of the relative physical quantity x with an earlier detected value of the relative physical quantity x. If they are equal, the process proceeds to step S207, if not, the process proceeds to step S202.
Alternatively, after the sensor 131 detected the value of the relative physical quantity x, the value of relative physical quantity x is stored in the storage 132. When the sensor redetects the value of relative physical quantity x, the controller 133 compares the later detected value of the relative physical quantity x with the earlier stored value of the relative physical quantity x. If they are equal, the process proceeds to step S207, if not, the process proceeds to step S202.
In step S207, the electronic cigarette 2 operates for a period of time at the current amount of air intake, and then proceeds to step S205.
In other embodiments, the end of the motor 113 can be matched with the air adjusting outer ring 112 via gears, the details of air adjusting method of this condition can refer to the method described above.
The present disclosure enables automatic adjustment of the amount of air intake based on the desired operating power or operating voltage or operating temperature of the atomizer 20 inputted by the user, or based on the value of the relative physical quantity x detected by the sensor 131. The user does not need to manually adjust, thereby making the electronic cigarette more suited to him or her, improving the user experience.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the relevant art, therefore many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the present disclosure is illustrative only, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201610013724.9 | Jan 2016 | CN | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2016/113554 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Child | 16029660 | US |
