Abstract:
An electronic cigarette includes an atomizing device and a power pole, the atomizing device includes a first connecting assembly, and the power pole includes a second connecting assembly. The first connecting assembly includes a pair of first electrodes and at least one lapping portion. The second connecting assembly includes a pair of second electrodes and a cavity with at least one adapting portion formed therein and a guiding surface formed adjacent to the at least one adapting portion. The at least one lapping portion is capable of inserting into the cavity from the guiding surface and rotatable in the cavity until abuts the at least one adapting portion, whereby the first electrodes are in contact with and thus electrically connected to the respective second electrodes. An atomizing device, a power pole and a charger connector are also provided.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of Chinese patent application no. 201310676937.6, filed on Dec. 23, 2013, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette, an atomizing device and a power pole used in the electronic cigarette, and a charger connector for charging the power pole. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Electronic cigarettes are similar to conventional cigarettes in appearance and taste, but less harmful to human&#39;s health, so that electronic cigarettes are widely used for helping people to quit smoke. 
         [0006]    A typical electronic cigarette includes an atomizing device and a power pole detachably connected to the atomizing device by a screw, and the screw also finishes the electrical connection between the atomizing device and the power pole. However, such screw results the atomizing device or the power pole needs to rotate a number of circles, and the screw member can only be made of metallic materials because of the electrical connection, by which to lower the cost is difficult. 
         [0007]    What is needed, therefore, is an electronic cigarette which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
         [0008]    What is also needed, are corresponding atomizing device, power pole and charger connector which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Many aspects of the present electronic cigarette, atomizing device, power pole and charger connector 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 present electronic cigarette, atomizing device, power pole and charger connector. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an electronic cigarette in accordance with a first embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view along A-A direction of the electronic cigarette of  FIG. 1  in accordance with the first embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the electronic cigarette of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic isometric view of the atomizing device of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic isometric view of the power pole of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view along B-B direction of the electronic cigarette of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of a power pole of an alternative embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of a power pole of another alternative embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of an electronic cigarette in accordance with a second embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of an electronic cigarette of an alternative embodiment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a schematic isometric view of a charger connector in accordance with a third embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Embodiments of the present electronic cigarette, atomizing device, power pole and charger connector will now be described in detail below and with references to the drawings. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electronic cigarette in accordance with a first embodiment is provided, which is composed of an atomizing device  1  and a power pole  2 , and the atomizing device  1  is detachable from the power pole  2 . The atomizing device  1  and the power pole  2  each are slim, and the atomizing device  1  and the power pole  2  are mounted along a lengthwise direction to form a body similar to a conventional cigarette and a cigar. The electronic cigarette has at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, the atomizing device  1  has a mouthpiece  101 , the air outlet can be formed in the mouthpiece  101 , and the air inlet can be formed at a connection end of the power pole  2 , or a distal end of the power pole  2 . For example, the power pole  2  has a lamp cover  201  formed at a distal end thereof, and the lamp cover  201  has an air inlet  202 . The air inlet  202  is in communicate with the air outlet of the mouthpiece  101  in the electronic cigarette. The atomizing device  1  can be heating atomizing device or ultrasonic atomizing device. In the present embodiment, the atomizing device  1  is a heating atomizing device. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the atomizing device  1  includes an atomizing sleeve  102 , a liquid reservoir  103  and an atomizing assembly. The atomizing assembly includes a liquid transferring member  108  and a heating element. The liquid transferring member  108  is configured for absorbing a tobacco liquid  104  reserved in the liquid reservoir  103  and transferring it to the heating element. The heating element can be a heating rod, a ceramic heating element, or a heating coil, in the present embodiment, the heating element is a heating coil  109  wrapping around the liquid transferring member  108 . 
         [0024]    The atomizing device  1  further includes a first connecting assembly  110  configured at an end thereof. The first connecting assembly  110  includes an inner electrode  110   a , an outer electrode  110   b , and an insulated member  111  located between the inner electrode  110   a  and the outer electrode  110   b . The inner electrode  110   a  and the outer electrode  110   b  are electrically connected to the heating coil  109  by conductive wires. The power pole  2  includes a battery sleeve  207 , and a battery  203  received in the battery sleeve  207 . The power pole  2  further includes a second connecting assembly  208  configured at an end thereof. The second connecting assembly  208  has a cavity receiving the first connecting assembly  110 , and a positive electrode  209   a  and a negative electrode  209   b . The first connecting assembly  110  and the second connecting assembly  208  are connected to each other by a lapping fitting (see the following detail), and when the first connecting assembly  110  and the second connecting assembly  208  are connected, the inner electrode  110   a  abuts on the positive electrode  209   a , the outer electrode  110   b  abuts on the negative electrode  209   b , thereby the atomizing device  1  can be powered on by the power pole  2 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , which show the detail configuration of the atomizing device  1 . The atomizing sleeve  102  has the mouthpiece  101 , the mouthpiece  101  has the air outlet  105 , and an elongated glass fiber tube  106  is received in the atomizing sleeve  102 . The glass fiber tube  106  forms the aerosol passage  107 . An annular space between the glass fiber tube  106  and the atomizing sleeve  102  forms the liquid reservoir  103  for the tobacco liquid  104 . Preferably, some porous material, such as cotton, fiber can be filled in the liquid reservoir  103  to reserve the tobacco liquid  104 . 
         [0026]    The glass fiber tube  106  has openings formed at a peripheral wall thereof, the liquid transferring member  108  extends through the openings to reach the liquid reservoir  103 . The liquid transferring member  108  is made of glass fiber or porous material. The heating coil  109  wraps around the liquid transferring member  108 , and the heating coil  109  is completely located in the aerosol passage  107 , the tobacco liquid  104  reaches the heating coil  109  by capillary, and the heating coil  109  heats the tobacco liquid to atomize it to be aerosol. The aerosol can be sucked out at the air outlet  105  through the aerosol passage  107 . A silicon base  112  is mounted at a bottom of the liquid reservoir  103 , and configured for sealing the liquid reservoir  103 . 
         [0027]    The first connecting assembly  110  is located at an end of the atomizing sleeve  102 . In the first connecting assembly  110 , each of the inner electrode  110   a  and the outer electrode  110   b  are ring-shaped, the outer electrode  110   b  has a shoulder  110   c  formed thereon, and the inner electrode  110  has an air through hole  113  formed in a sidewall thereof. The shoulder  110   c  is engaged in the atomizing sleeve  102 , with a bottom surface of the shoulder  110   c  exposed to an end of the atomizing sleeve  102 . The air through hole  113  is in communication with the aerosol passage  107 , and the air from the power pole  2  can flow through a gap between the inner electrode  110   a  and the outer electrode  110   b , the air through hole  113  and the aerosol passage  107 , thereby making sure the air flow from an air inlet to the air outlet. 
         [0028]    Two ends of the heating coil  109  are connected to conductive wires, the silicon base  112  has through holes for guiding the conductive wires, and the conductive wires can be electrically connected to the inner electrode  110   a  and outer electrode  110   b  via welding, riveting, or interference fitting. 
         [0029]    The outer electrode  110   b  can be made of metallic material, or instead made of plastic material, and further have a conductive layer formed thereon. When the outer electrode  110   b  is inserted into the cavity of second connecting assembly  208 , the outer electrode  110   b  can be rotated, and the outer electrode  110   b  has at least one lapping portion formed thereon to form a connection with at least one adapting portion of the power pole  2 . See  FIG. 4 , two ribs  114  acting as two lapping portions are formed on the outer electrode  110   b , each of the ribs  114  is arc-shaped, and the two ribs  114  are concentrically arranged. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  5 , the power pole  2  includes a battery sleeve  207 , and a battery  203  and a control unit located in the battery sleeve  207 , the control unit is located on a circuit board  212 . Each end of the battery  203  has a buffer  204  to protect the battery  203 . One end of the battery sleeve  207  has a lamp cover  201 , an air inlet  202  is formed in the lamp cover  201 , and an air actuating switch  205  is positioned in the lamp cover  201 . The air actuating switch  205  is electrically connected to the control unit, and configured for switching on the control unit according to an air actuating. As the air inlet  202  and the air outlet  105  are located at two sides of the sensor  202 , when a user sucks the mouthpiece  101 , pressure difference occurs at the two sides of the air actuating switch  205 , and when pressure difference reaches a predetermined value, the air actuating switch  205  gives a signal to the control unit to control the circuit state-on, otherwise control the circuit state-off. It is understood that the air actuating switch  205  and the control unit can be mounted at a same circuit board. 
         [0031]    The cavity of the second connecting assembly  208  is provided by an electrode fixing base  211  which is located at the other end of the battery sleeve  207  opposite to the lamp cover  201 . A circuit board  210  is mounted in the cavity, and the positive electrode  209   a  is located at a central position of the circuit board  210 . The positive electrode  209   a  is a resilient electrode which may have a spring and an electrode pin connected to the spring. The spring provides a resilient force for the electrode pin, thereby making sure to closely contact the inner electrode  110   a  of the atomizing device  1 . The negative electrode  209   b  is a ring-shaped electrode inserted between battery sleeve  207  and the electrode fixing base  211 , and has a flange  209   c  having a top surface exposed on the end of the battery sleeve  207 , when the first connecting assembly  110  is connected to the second connecting assembly  208 , the top surface of the flange  209   c  of the negative electrode  209   b  contacts the bottom surface of the shoulder  110   c  of the outer electrode  110   b  to form an electrical connection. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an inner surface  2081  of the cavity of the second connecting assembly  208  is circular, and two protrusions  2083  are formed at a top of the inner surface  2081 . Each of the protrusions  2083  is arc-shaped, and the two protrusions are concentrically arranged. The two protrusions  2083  forms two adapting portions of the power pole  2  for the lapping portions. Two gaps between the two protrusions  2083  form guiding surfaces  2082  for guiding the ribs  114  into the cavity of the second connecting assembly  208 . The guiding surfaces  2082  are flat with the inner surface  2081 , such that the first connecting assembly  110  can rotate in the cavity, then the ribs  114  will abuts a bottom surface of the protrusions  2083 , in this way, forming a lapping fitting between the atomizing device  1  and the power pole  2 . The lapping fitting is configured for preventing the first connection assembly  110  and the second connecting assembly  208  to escape from each other, and only when the first connecting assembly  110  or the second connecting assembly  208  is rotated again to allow the ribs  114  return to the guiding surfaces  2082 , the first connection assembly  110  and the second connecting assembly  208  then can be detached from each other. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , preferably, the protrusions  2083  further has a slanted transition section  20831 . When the ribs  114  of the outer electrode  110   b  are rotated into the inner surface  2081 , the ribs  114  slide along the transition section  20831  and finally abut on a position of the protrusions  2083  where a greatest friction force is produced therebetween. At this position, the atomizing device  1  and the power pole  2  are tightly connected, and the first connection assembly  110  and the second connecting assembly  208  are closely contact. 
         [0034]    It is understood that the positive electrode  209   a  and the negative electrode  209   b  can act as discharging electrodes for the atomizing device  1  when the atomizing device  1  is connected to the power pole  2 , and can also act as charging electrodes for the power pole  2  when atomizing device  1  is detached from the power pole  2  and a charger is applied on the power pole  2 . In alternative embodiments, the power pole  2  can have additional charging electrodes, for example, adding a positive electrode  206  at a distal end of the power pole  2 , and the positive electrode  206  and the negative electrode  209   b  cooperatively form charging electrodes. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , in an alternative embodiment, the negative electrode  209   b ′ is made of a coil spring and arranged on the circuit board  21 , the negative electrode  209   b ′ is spaced from the positive electrode  209   a , and configured for providing a resilient force in contacting the outer electrode  110   b.    
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , an electronic cigarette in accordance with a second embodiment is provided, which is composed of an atomizing device  3  and a power pole  4 . The atomizing device  3  includes a mouthpiece  301  and a first connecting assembly  304  at two ends thereof. The first connecting assembly  304  includes an inner electrode  302  and an outer electrode  303  insulatedly spaced from the inner electrode  302 . The power pole  2  includes a battery  403  and a lamp cover  401 . The lamp cover  401  has an air inlet, and a controller  404  is arranged in the lamp cover  401 . An air actuating switch and a control circuit are mounted in the controller  404 . 
         [0037]    The power pole  2  further includes an electrode fixing base  406  and a second connecting assembly  407  positioned at top end thereof. The electrode fixing base  406  provides a cavity for the second connecting assembly  407 . The outer electrode  303  has at least one rib  3031  extending outwards thereof, the electrode fixing base  406  has at least one protrusion  4061  extending inwards thereof. The at least one rib  3031  and protrusion  4061  each are arc-shaped, and at least one gap is formed adjacent to the at least one rib  3031 , and also at least one gap is formed adjacent to the at least one protrusion  4061 . In the present embodiment, there are two ribs  3031  and two protrusions  4061 . The ribs  3031  of the outer electrode  303  enter the cavity of the electrode fixing base  406  from the gaps between the protrusions  4061 , and are rotated a certain angle to abut on a bottom surface of the protrusions  4061 , thereby forming a lapping fitting. The second connecting assembly  407  has a positive electrode  408  and a negative electrode  409 , the positive electrode  408  is a coil spring and is arranged at a central position of the cavity, and the negative electrode  409  is a metal shrapnel and is arranged under the protrusions  4061 . In accompany with the lapping fitting, the positive electrode  408  abuts a connecting portion  3021  of the inner electrode  302 , and the negative electrode  409  abuts the ribs  3031  of the outer electrode  303 . 
         [0038]    In addition, the power pole  2  further has a first charging electrode  402  and a second charging electrode  405 , the first charging electrode  402  is arranged in the lamp cover  401 , and the second charging electrode  405  is set around the electrode fixing base  406 , and electrically connected to the negative electrode  409 . In the present embodiment, the electrode fixing base  406  has a hole  406   a , and the negative electrode  409  is integrally formed with the second charging electrode  405  and extends through the hole  406   a  to contact the ribs  3031  of the outer electrode  303 . In charging the power pole  2 , the first charging electrode  402  and the second charging electrode  405  are connected to a charger for charging the battery  403 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , in an alternative embodiment, the positive electrode  410  is a metal shrapnel arranged at a central position of the cavity  407 , and the metal shrapnel is a circle metal dome. When the atomizing device  3  is connected to the power pole  4 , the negative electrode  409  contacts the ribs  3031  of the outer electrode  303 , and the positive electrode  410  contacts a distal end  3022  of the inner electrode  302 . 
         [0040]    It is understood that the above described first connecting assembly can be mounted at the power pole  2 , and the second connecting assembly can be mounted at the atomizing device  1 . 
         [0041]    Referring also to  FIG. 11 , a charger connector  3  in accordance with a third embodiment is provided, which includes a main body  5 . The main body  5  has an interface  501  configured to be connected to outside power supply, and a third connecting assembly  504 . The interface  501  can be USB interface  501 . The third connecting assembly  504  includes an inner electrode  503  and an outer electrode  502  insulatedly spaced from the inner electrode  503 . In the present embodiment, the outer electrode  502  has two ribs  5021 . In charging the power pole  2 , the third connecting assembly  504  inserts into the cavity of the electrode fixing base  406  of the power pole  2 , and the third connecting assembly  504  and second connecting assembly  407  forms a lapping fitting. The charger connector  3  then can be connected to an outside power supply to charge the power pole  2 . 
         [0042]    It is understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made to the embodiments and methods without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure.