Electronic Cigarette

An electronic cigarette for smoldering tobacco materials housed in a cigarette cartridge has a heater, and first and second heat conductors. The heater generates heat by using a resistance wire, or via ionizing air, e.g., an electric arc generator. The first heat conductor, which receives heat from the heater, directly contacts an outer surface of the cigarette cartridge for heating the tobacco materials through the cigarette cartridge's outer surface. The second heat conductor penetrates into a center of the cigarette cartridge, and has a heating element for heating the tobacco materials via the cigarette cartridge's center. Hence, the tobacco materials are heated from both inside and outside of the cigarette cartridge simultaneously, thereby smoldering the tobacco materials more completely and resulting in a better taste. During ionizing the air, the heater may further generate a gaseous air-purifying agent for air purification, e.g., negative ions generated by the electric arc generator.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette.

BACKGROUND

Although it is common sense that smoking is harmful to health, there are still a large number of smokers around the world. People are difficult to ignore smoking. An electronic cigarette, having a similar appearance and taste of a tobacco cigarette without harmful ingredient such as tar, is gaining popularity. Smoking with the electronic cigarette also lessens discomfort and psychological pain for an ex-smoker who gives up smoking. Furthermore, the electronic cigarette is more environmental-friendly and healthier than the tobacco cigarette.

Generally, the electronic cigarette includes a smoke oil type and a tobacco type. For a smoke oil-type electronic cigarette, people need to bring backup oil. However, oil sealing is one big issue for oil storage. While a tobacco-type electronic cigarette shares a similar appearance with a traditional tobacco cigarette, this electronic cigarette has no oil leakage concern. Hence, the tobacco-type electronic cigarette is a better choice for the ex-smoker.

Smoke vapor comes out generally by heating the cigarette cartridge with a resistance wire or a heater band, where the cigarette cartridge contains tobacco materials and the tobacco materials are smoldered or slowly burnt. However, such techniques have the follow drawbacks.1) Typically, the cigarette cartridge is heated on its outer shell or its inside only, leading to insufficient heating to tobacco materials and limiting the heating area. Thereby, it gives rise to a low heating rate, low heating efficiency and a poor heating uniformity. Hence results in a commonly long pre-heating time and a waste of the tobacco materials.2) Most attention on health issues related to electronic cigarettes has been focused on the treatment of chemicals' impact in the cigarettes, but the influence of bacteria in tobacco and air contamination has been overlooked. Research published inEnvironmental Health Perspectives with a title of Human Pathogens Abundant in the Bacterial Metagenome of Cigarettesin 2010 has shown that smokers could even inhale live bacteria through the smoke. Therefore, the potential threat of bacteria and air contamination should take into serious consideration.3) Tobacco trash and other dirties can stick on to the resistance wire after high temperature heating, and the dirt-contaminated resistance wire leads to a poor heating efficiency. Also, the dirty tobacco trash affects the lifetime of the resistance wire as well. Meanwhile, the repeated use of the dirty resistance wire causes a very high temperature in heating the tobacco, creating a high chance for the tobacco to generate harmful substances and hence affecting human health. Current techniques generally need to open the electronic cigarette and to remove the tobacco trash by external tools such as cotton swab or other similar tools, which is neither convenient nor user friendly. Hence, a highly integrated and easier-to-manipulate cleaning tool is in need.

Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an electronic cigarette that solves the above-listed problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an electronic cigarette for smoldering tobacco materials. The tobacco materials are housed in a cigarette cartridge insertable into the electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette comprises a heater, a first heat conductor and a second heat conductor. The heater can be selected from a wire resistor, an electric arc generator, an ozonator, an anion generator, a corona discharge device, an electromagnetic heater, a laser heater or other heating methods. The first heat conductor is connected to the heater for receiving heat therefrom. Furthermore, the first heat conductor is arranged to directly contact an outer surface of the cigarette cartridge for heating the tobacco materials through the cigarette cartridge's outer surface when the cigarette cartridge is inserted into the electronic cigarette. The second heat conductor is arranged to penetrate into a center of the cigarette cartridge for heating the tobacco materials via the cigarette cartridge's center when the second heat conductor is powered and when the cigarette cartridge is inserted into the electronic cigarette. In particular, the heater and the second heat conductor are arranged to provide heat simultaneously. By the first and second heat conductors, the tobacco materials are heated from both inside and outside of the cigarette cartridge simultaneously during the smoldering of the tobacco materials, so that the tobacco materials is smoldered more completely, resulting in a better taste.

Take an example for illustration. The heater is an electric arc generator. The electric arc generator may include one or more pairs of electrodes. Each of the electrodes pairs is used for generating an electric arc. The electronic cigarette may further comprise a voltage-multiplying circuit for boosting up a voltage supplied by a battery to generate a boost-up voltage, and for powering the electric arc generator with the boost-up voltage to generate an electric arc. The voltage supplied by the battery is also used for powering the second heat conductor.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic cigarette further comprises a shell, a cigarette holder on one end of the shell for holding the cigarette cartridge, and a cleaning system positioned in the shell and movable towards the cigarette holder, where the cleaning system is configured to push off smoke trash from inside the electronic cigarette during moving towards the cigarette holder. The electronic cigarette may further comprise a moving unit mounted to the cleaning system for facilitating the cleaning system to move to and fro the cigarette holder. The cleaning system may include a plate for pushing off the smoke trash.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second heat conductor includes a heat transfer rod arranged to penetrate inside the cigarette cartridge for transferring heat to the tobacco materials via the cigarette cartridge's center, and a heating element for heating the heat transfer rod when the second heat conductor is powered. Preferably, the heating element is a resistance wire.

In one embodiment, advantageously the heater is further configured to generate a gaseous air-purifying agent for air purification during ionizing the air. The second heat conductor is connected to the heater for delivering the gaseous air-purifying agent to the cigarette cartridge's center, at which the gaseous air-purifying agent is released. The second heat conductor may further include a transmitting terminal tip attached to the heat transfer rod for releasing the gaseous air-purifying agent at the cigarette cartridge's center.

In one implementation of the heater used for generating the gaseous air-purifying agent, the heater is an electric arc generator and the gaseous air-purifying agent is negative ions. Alternatively, the heater may be selected from an electric arc generator, an ozonator, an anion generator and a corona discharge device.

Other aspects of the present invention are disclosed as illustrated by the embodiments hereinafter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An aspect of the present invention is to provide an electronic cigarette. As will be shown hereinafter, potential advantages of the disclosed electronic cigarette include the capability of realizing rapid heating and low power consumption, and the ability of smoldering the tobacco materials housed in a cigarette cartridge from both inside and outside thereof. The electronic cigarette may additionally include a function of air purification for making the air clean. A further potential advantage of the electronic cigarette is that it can be cleaned very easily.

Exemplarily, the disclosed electronic cigarette is illustrated with the aid ofFIGS. 1 and 2.FIG. 1depicts an electronic cigarette99having a cigarette cartridge100therein. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an exploded view of the electronic cigarette99is depicted inFIG. 2. The electronic cigarette99has a principal function of smoldering tobacco materials. Generally, the electronic cigarette99can have different shapes, such as cubic, cuboid, cylindrical or any combination thereof. During operation of the electronic cigarette99, the tobacco materials are housed in a cigarette cartridge100. Typically, the cigarette cartridge100has a cylindrical shape. The cigarette cartridge100is insertable into the electronic cigarette99. During operation of the electronic cigarette99, the cigarette cartridge100is inserted into the electronic cigarette99.

Refer toFIGS. 1 and 2. The electronic cigarette99includes a shell1, and a cigarette holder2on one end of the shell1for holding the cigarette cartridge100. A battery3is installable in the electronic cigarette99. Particularly, the battery3is installed inside the shell1, and is positioned to connect to a heater4for heating the tobacco materials that are housed in the cigarette cartridge100. The heater4can generate heat via a wire resistor, an electric arc generator, an ozonator, an anion generator, a corona discharge device, an electromagnetic heater or a laser heater or other heating methods. For advantages that will become apparent soon, the heater4is preferably configured to generate heat via ionizing air. An example of the heater4is an electric arc generator that can generate heat via ionizing air. The heater4is connected to a first heat conductor42so that the first heat conductor42receives heat from the heater4during operation. When the cigarette cartridge100is inserted in the electronic cigarette99, the first heat conductor42in turn contacts an outer surface of the cigarette cartridge100directly. Thereby, the tobacco materials are heated through the outer surface of the cigarette cartridge100. The battery3is also connected to a second heat conductor7. The second heat conductor7is configured to penetrate into the center of the cigarette cartridge100during operation.

One optional but advantageous feature of the heater4that generates heat via ionizing the air is that the heater4may be further configured to function as an air purifier that produces gaseous air-purifying agent, such as ozone and negative ions, during ionizing the air. The heater/air purifier4may be implemented, e.g., as an ozonator, an anion generator, or a corona discharge device. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heater/air purifier4is realized by an electric arc generator for heat generation, where the electric arc generator also functions as an anion generator for producing negative ions. For convenience in illustrating the present invention, hereinafter the electronic cigarette99is illustrated by considering an exemplary case that the heater4or the heater/air purifier4is the electronic arc generator (also referenced as4).

The electric arc generator4can preferably serve as an air purifier, where the air purifier as considered is an anion generator for generating negative ions. The air around a transmitting terminal tip74can be cleaned by the negative ions. Bacteria around the second heat conductor7and the cigarette holder2can be repelled and can even be killed to some extent. Additionally, the negative ions can be generated straightly before each generation of the smoke so as to eliminate the bacteria first. The generation of the negative ions can be switched on or off independently, depending on the user's demand. Furthermore, the negative ions can interact with gas molecules through physical absorption, electrical neutralization or even chemical reactions. As a result, the negative ions can be used to eliminate unpleasant odor and keep the user feeling clean and refreshed. Moreover, the electronic cigarette99is equipped with a cleaning system5. The cleaning system5is mounted to a moving unit8. The moving unit8can facilitate the cleaning system5to move to and fro the cigarette holder2.

With the above-mentioned structure of the electronic cigarette99, a high voltage can be generated by the electric arc generator4. A high-temperature electric arc is then generated, so that the outside of the cigarette cartridge100is rapidly heated and can be heated to a higher temperature. Additionally, the heater4and the second heat conductor7are arranged to provide heat simultaneously. Thereby, the inside of the cigarette cartridge100is simultaneously heated via the second heat conductor7. Since both the outside and inside of the cigarette cartridge100are heated simultaneously, tobacco materials in the cigarette cartridge100are smoldered more completely and hence it results in a better taste. Advantageously, the electric arc generator4has a longer life time when compared to a resistance wire. Additionally, the electric arc generator4may serve as an anion generator. The anion generator can ionize air and produce negative ions. The negative ions are released into the air through the transmitting terminal tip74. With the beneficial action of negative ions, the air inside the electronic cigarette99can be purified and bacteria in the air can be repelled or even get killed. Furthermore, through the cleaning system5, which is movable towards to the cigarette holder2, smoke trash and other dirt can be pushed off from the electronic cigarette99very easily, thereby maintaining a clean working environment of the electronic cigarette99. In one embodiment, the cleaning system5includes a plate52pushing off the smoke trash and other dirt. As an advantageous result, potentially harmful substances that could be generated by repeated heating of a dirty resistance wire can be avoided.

Specifically, the electric arc generator4includes one or more pairs of electrodes41and a voltage-multiplying circuit (not shown inFIG. 2) that can boost up a voltage supplied by the battery3to yield a boost-up voltage. The voltage of the battery3is increased to thousands of volts by the voltage-multiplying circuit and the boost-up voltage is used to power the electric arc generator4by applying the boost-up voltage between each pair of electrodes41. The air between each pair of electrodes41is ionized and an electric arc is generated. The high-temperature electric arc transfers its thermal energy to the first heat conductor42and finally the cigarette cartridge100is heated on its outer surface. Meanwhile, the second heat conductor7is powered by the battery3to generate heat. The heat is transferred to the center of the cigarette cartridge100. Hence, the tobacco materials are heated from both outside and inside of the cigarette cartridge100simultaneously such that smoke vapor is generated for the user to smoke.

The electronic cigarette99also includes a heat insulate housing43arranged such that the one or more pairs of electrodes41are hidden inside the heat insulate housing43. In order to increase the heat efficiency of electric arc generation, preferably more-than-one pairs of electrodes41are equipped.

FIG. 3depicts an exploded view of the second heat conductor7according to one embodiment of the present invention. The second heat conductor7includes a heat transfer rod71. The heat transfer rod71can be inserted inside, and hence penetrated into, the cigarette cartridge100. The heat transfer rod71can be heated. The shape of the heat transfer rod71can be a cylinder or a square column. The outside of the heat transfer rod71can also be equipped with one or more cooling fins (not shown inFIG. 3). The one or more cooling fins can be of any shape as deemed appropriate by those skilled in the art; the present invention does not impose any limitation on the shape of each cooling fin. Preferably, stainless steel is used to make the heat transfer rod71. The center of heat transfer rod71is made hollowed and is inserted with a copper rod73due to the high thermal conductivity of copper. Since harmful substances can be generated if copper is heated at a high temperature, the copper rod73is put inside the heat transfer rod71to avoid the aforementioned harmful-substance generation problem. Furthermore, the presence of the copper rod73inside the heat transfer rod71is helpful to increase the mechanical strength of the heat transfer rod71as well. Outside the copper rod73, there is installed a heating element72used for heating copper rod73. For implementation simplicity, the heating element72is preferably realized by a resistance wire. The heating element72is connected to a controller6as well. As the electric arc generator4heats the outside of the cigarette cartridge100and the thermal energy is transferred to the inside of the cigarette cartridge100as well, the resistance wire that is used as the heating element72only needs to be powered to heat up to 200° C. In comparison to traditional tobacco-heating technology, which typically heats up the resistance wire to 300° C., the heating element72has a lower power consumption. Furthermore, a relatively low temperature used in heating the copper rod73can help to protect it from over-heating damage.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the moving unit8includes a first moving unit connected to the shell1. The first moving unit is connected to the cigarette holder2, and the first moving unit is connected to a second moving unit. The second moving unit includes a transmission unit used to connect to the first moving unit. The transmission unit is connected with a moving unit, where the moving unit is a screw rod83. The screw rod83is screw-joint to the cleaning system5, where the cleaning system5can move linearly along with the axis of the screw rod83.

FIG. 4depicts a realization of the cleaning system5according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 4, there is a fastener board51having threaded screw holes for connecting to the screw rod83on both sides of cleaning system5. A mounting housing84is also equipped in the moving unit8for fixing the first moving unit and the cleaning system5. Inside the mounting housing84, a special structure is designed to confine the movement of the fastener board51from rotation of the screw rod83, so as to make sure producing a linear movement of the fastener board51along the axis of the screw rod83. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first moving unit is a gear ring81and the second moving unit is a gear82where the gear82is engaged with the gear ring81. The gear82is arranged to rotate with the movement of the gear ring81. The screw rod83is arranged to rotate with the rotation of the gear82. Rotation of the screw rod83then drives the cleaning system5to move linearly along the axis of the screw rod83or the heat transfer rod71. In other words, the cleaning system5is driven by the moving unit8to move towards to the cigarette holder2. This arrangement is helpful to clean the cleaning system5by external cleaning tools. Meanwhile, the cleaning system5can also move back to its original working position.

The electronic cigarette99further includes the controller6. The controller6is connected with the heater/air purifier4, the second heat conductor7or the battery3. The controller6is capable of controlling the heater4to periodically work. As mentioned above, the heater4is preferably the electric arc generator4. Since the electric arc temperature generated by the electric arc generator4is relatively high, the temperature of the first heat conductor42continues to increase if the electric arc continues to be generated. When the temperature exceeds the ignition temperature of the cigarette cartridge100, the cigarette cartridge100is directly burned out. The first heat conductor42is also damaged, making the electronic cigarette99unable to work properly or even causing safety accidents. Therefore, the controller6is connected to the battery3, and the controller6periodically and electrically connects and disconnects the electric arc generator4from the battery3. Hence, the electric arc generator4periodically generates the electric arc, thereby realizing periodic heating of the first heat conductor42. Alternatively, the controller6may be directly electrically connected to the electric arc generator4. The controller6directly controls the voltage multiplying circuit in the electric arc generator4to periodically generate a high and a low voltage, thereby realizing the periodic high- and low-temperature heat of the first heat conductor42. Hence, it is ensured that the cigarette cartridge100, which is inserted into the electronic cigarette99, can always be in a smoldering state.

Preferably, the electronic cigarette99further includes a start switch9for starting work of the electronic cigarette99, and a safety switch10capable of sensing whether the cigarette cartridge100is inserted into the electronic cigarette99. The start switch9, the safety switch10and the electric arc generator4are all electrically connected to the controller6. The safety switch10can be disposed on the first heat conductor42or the cigarette holder2. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the safety switch10is disposed at the cigarette holder2, and the safety switch10can be a proximity switch or another switch such as an auto reset micro switch. If the cigarette cartridge100is inserted into the electronic cigarette99, the safety switch10is closed, then the start switch9is closed, the electric arc generator4generates an electric arc, and the electronic cigarette99works normally. If the cigarette cartridge100is not inserted into the electronic cigarette99, the safety switch10is disconnected. At this moment, even if the start switch9is closed, the electric arc generator4cannot generate the electric arc, and the electronic cigarette99cannot work. It can be seen that by setting the two-stage mechanism of operating the safety switch10and the start switch9, safety on the use of the electronic cigarette99is improved, thereby avoiding the situation that the cigarette cartridge100is not inserted in the electronic cigarette99but the electric arc generator4is started somehow and the electronic cigarette99can be damaged therefor.

The battery3installed in the electronic cigarette99may be a disposable battery power source or a rechargeable battery power source. Preferably and advantageously, the electronic cigarette99adopts a rechargeable battery power source, and the charging interface31of the electronic cigarette99is disposed at one end of the shell1away from the cigarette holder2.

The battery3may be integrated to the electronic cigarette99as one unit, or may be arranged to be a removable unit not belonging to the electronic cigarette99. The latter arrangement is useful when it is expected to replace the battery3from time to time. The battery3may be a rechargeable battery or an ordinary battery.

Obviously, the above-disclosed embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, rather than limiting the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other variations or changes may be made on the basis of the above description. There is no need and no exhaustion for all of the embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the appended claims of the present invention.