Patent Publication Number: US-9848653-B2

Title: Cotton-free electronic cigarette, heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component of vaporizer device, and method for heat insulation and heat dissipation

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cotton-free electronic cigarette, a heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component of a vaporizer device of a cotton-free electronic cigarette, and a method for heat insulation and heat dissipation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Existing electronic cigarettes are usually made of plastic materials without using any overheat protection device. As a result, when a vaporizer unit works to generate heat, the vaporizer unit itself and other components of the existing electronic cigarettes are easily damaged by the heat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention aims to provide a cotton-free electronic cigarette, which is able to effectively insulate heat generated from a working vaporizer unit so as to prevent an outer pipe and internal components of the cotton-free electronic cigarette from being heat-damaged. The present invention also aims to provide a heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component, which is able to effectively lower the temperature of a vapor flow passage of a cotton-free electronic cigarette so as to prevent an outer pipe and internal components of the cotton-free electronic cigarette from being heat-damaged. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for heat insulation and heat dissipation of a cotton-free electronic cigarette. 
     A first technical solution of the present invention is a heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component of a vaporizer device of a cotton-free electronic cigarette, wherein a heat insulation sleeve is provided inside an outer pipe and outside a vaporizer unit; the heat insulation sleeve, the outer pipe and the vaporizer unit have a same central longitudinal axis. 
     Preferably, the heat insulation sleeve is arranged inside the outer pipe and outside a liquid storage cup, a circumferential protrusion of a supporting frame and a power connecting assembly that are received in the outer pipe; the heat insulation sleeve starts from the position of a liquid percolation piece of the vaporizer device and terminates at the position of the power connecting assembly; the heat insulation sleeve, the outer pipe, the liquid storage cup, the circumferential protrusion of the supporting frame, the power connecting assembly, and the liquid percolation piece of the vaporizer device have the same central longitudinal axis. 
     Preferably, the heat insulation sleeve separates the vaporizer unit from the outer pipe; the heat insulation sleeve and the power connecting assembly dissipate a part of the heat generated from the vaporizer unit to prevent the outer pipe and components in the outer pipe from being heat-damaged, so as to lower the temperature of a vapor flow passage of the cotton-free electronic cigarette and thereby preventing overheat of the cotton-free electronic cigarette. 
     Preferably, the heat insulation sleeve is made of metal or made of heat-resistant nonmetallic material. 
     Preferably, heat generated from the vaporizer unit is discharged outside the cotton-free electronic cigarette through thermal conductivity of the heat insulation sleeve. 
     A second technical solution of the present invention is a cotton-free electronic cigarette comprising a power supply assembly, a power connecting assembly, a vaporizer device and a liquid storage assembly that are successively connected, wherein the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises the above-mentioned heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component. 
     A third technical solution of the present invention is a heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component of a vaporizer device of a cotton-free electronic cigarette, wherein a heat insulation sleeve is provided inside an outer pipe and outside a vaporizer unit; the heat insulation sleeve, the outer pipe and the vaporizer unit have a same central longitudinal axis; a liquid storage cup has an exterior longitudinal flat surface, a vapor flow passage is formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface and the heat insulation sleeve. 
     In a fourth technical solution of the present invention, the heat insulation sleeve is arranged inside the outer pipe and outside the liquid storage cup, a circumferential protrusion of a supporting frame and a power connecting assembly that are received in the outer pipe; the heat insulation sleeve starts from the position of a liquid percolation piece of the vaporizer device and terminates at the position of the power connecting assembly; the heat insulation sleeve, the outer pipe, the liquid storage cup, the circumferential protrusion of the supporting frame, the power connecting assembly, and the liquid percolation piece of the vaporizer device have the same central longitudinal axis. 
     Preferably, heat generated from the vaporizer unit is dissipated along the vapor flow passage formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface and the heat insulation sleeve, and then the heat is discharged outside the cotton-free electronic cigarette through thermal conductivity of the heat insulation sleeve. 
     A fifth technical solution of the present invention is a cotton-free electronic cigarette comprising a power supply assembly, a power connecting assembly, a vaporizer device and a liquid storage assembly that are successively connected, wherein the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises the above-mentioned heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component. 
     The technical solutions of the present invention have the following advantages. Firstly, the heat insulation sleeve is arranged inside the outer pipe and outside the liquid storage cup, the circumferential protrusion of the supporting frame and the fixation seat that are received in the outer pipe. Heat generated from the vaporizer unit is discharged outside the outer pipe through the heat insulation sleeve, thereby preventing the outer pipe and the internal components from being heat-damaged by a hot vaporizer unit. 
     Secondly, the heat insulation sleeve separates the vaporizer unit from the outer pipe, thus preventing the outer pipe and the internal components from being heat-damaged by a hot vaporizer unit. 
     Thirdly, most of heat generated inside the cotton-free electronic cigarette can be discharged outside the cotton-free electronic cigarette through the vapor flow passage formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface of the liquid storage cup and the heat insulation sleeve. 
     Fourthly, because the outer pipe and the internal components are protected from overheat by the heat-insulating and heat-dissipating component of the cotton-free electronic cigarette of the present invention, the safety, hygiene and reliability of the cotton-free electronic cigarette of the present invention are largely improved. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a cotton-free electronic cigarette according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an assembled cotton-free electronic cigarette shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is another cross-sectional view of an assembled cotton-free electronic cigarette shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective exploded view of a disposable cotton-free electronic cigarette according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an assembled disposable cotton-free electronic cigarette shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is another cross-sectional view of an assembled disposable cotton-free electronic cigarette shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS OF MAIN COMPONENTS 
     
         
         
           
               1  power supply assembly 
               2  vaporizer device 
               21  liquid storage cup 
               211  exterior longitudinal flat surface 
               22  liquid percolation piece 
               23  filter piece 
               24  supporting frame 
               241  circumferential protrusion 
               25  vaporizer unit 
               26  fixation seat 
               261  sleeve 
               262  separation plate 
               2621  through hole 
               263  mounting groove 
               264  sealing ring 
               3  liquid storage assembly 
               4  outer pipe 
               5  heat insulation sleeve 
               6  electrical insulation ring 
               7  positive needle electrode 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     Various preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures. 
       FIGS. 1-3  show a first embodiment of a cotton-free electronic cigarette of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises a power supply assembly (not shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ), a power connecting assembly, a vaporizer device and a liquid storage assembly  3 ; wherein the power supply assembly and the liquid storage assembly  3  are common knowledge in the art. 
     In this embodiment, the vaporizer device of cotton-free electronic cigarette consists of: 
     a liquid storage cup  21 , 
     a liquid percolation piece  22  and a filter piece  23  that are respectively inserted into an opening end of the liquid storage cup  21 , 
     a supporting frame  24  arranged at the opening end of the liquid storage cup  21 , 
     a vaporizer unit  25  fitted into two longitudinal insertion slots of the supporting frame  24 , 
     an outer pipe  4 , and 
     a heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
     A circumferential protrusion  241  is protruded from a circumference of the supporting frame  24 , one side of the circumferential protrusion  241  is sheathed with the liquid storage cup  21 , the other side of the circumferential protrusion  241  is sheathed with a fixation seat  26 . 
     The liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  and the fixation seat  26  are successively arranged in the outer pipe  4 . The heat insulation sleeve  5  has a good thermal conductivity and heat-resistant performance. The heat insulation sleeve  5  is arranged inside the outer pipe  4  and outside the liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  and the fixation seat  26 ; the heat insulation sleeve  5  starts from the position of the liquid percolation piece  22  and terminates at the position of the fixation seat  26 . 
     The outer pipe  4 , the heat insulation sleeve  5 , the liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  of the supporting frame  24  and the fixation seat  26  have a same central longitudinal axis. 
     In this embodiment, the power connecting assembly consists of the fixation seat  26 , an electrical insulation ring  6  sheathed with the fixation seat  26 , and a positive needle electrode  7  sheathed with the electrical insulation ring  6 ; wherein the fixation seat  26  is made of metal with a screw thread, or the fixation seat  26  is made of magnetic metal, or the fixation seat  26  is made of nonmetallic material with a connecting electrode. 
     In this embodiment, the heat insulation sleeve  5  is made of steel. Alternatively, the heat insulation sleeve  5  is made of metal other than steel, or the heat insulation sleeve  5  is made of heat-resistant nonmetallic material. 
     In this embodiment, the liquid storage cup  21  has an exterior longitudinal flat surface  211 , a vapor flow passage is formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface  211  and the heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
     In this embodiment, a method for heat insulation and heat dissipation of the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises: dissipating heat generated from the vaporizer unit  25  along the vapor flow passage formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface  211  and the heat insulation sleeve  5 , and discharging a part of the heat outside the cotton-free electronic cigarette through thermal conductivity of the heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
       FIGS. 4-6  show a second embodiment of a cotton-free electronic cigarette of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises a power supply assembly  1 , a power connecting assembly, a vaporizer device  2  and a liquid storage assembly  3 ; wherein the power supply assembly  1  and the liquid storage assembly  3  are common knowledge in the art. 
     In this embodiment, the vaporizer device  2  consists of: 
     a liquid storage cup  21 , 
     a liquid percolation piece  22  and a filter piece  23  that are inserted into an opening end of the liquid storage cup  21 ; 
     a supporting frame  24  arranged at the opening end of the liquid storage cup  21 , 
     a vaporizer unit  25  fitted into two longitudinal insertion slots of the supporting frame  24 , 
     a fixation seat  26 , and 
     a heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
     A circumferential protrusion  241  is protruded from a circumference of the supporting frame  24 , one side of the circumferential protrusion  241  is sheathed with the liquid storage cup  21 , the other side of the circumferential protrusion  241  is sheathed with the fixation seat  26 . 
     The liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  of the supporting frame  24  and the fixation seat  26  are successively arranged in an outer pipe  4 . The heat insulation sleeve  5  has a good thermal conductivity and heat-resistant performance. The heat insulation sleeve  5  is arranged inside the outer pipe  4  and outside the liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  and the fixation seat  26 ; the heat insulation sleeve  5  starts from the position of the liquid percolation piece  22  and terminates at the position of the fixation seat  26 . 
     The outer pipe  4 , the heat insulation sleeve  5 , the liquid storage cup  21 , the circumferential protrusion  241  and the fixation seat  26  have a same central longitudinal axis. 
     In this embodiment, the heat insulation sleeve  5  is made of steel. Alternatively, the heat insulation sleeve  5  is made of heat-resistant nonmetallic material, such as ceramics, ceramic fiber, glass, and glass fiber. 
     In this embodiment, the liquid storage cup  21  has an exterior longitudinal flat surface  211 , a vapor flow passage is formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface  211  and the heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
     In this embodiment, the power connecting assembly consists of the fixation seat  26 ; wherein the fixation seat  26  is made of metal with a screw thread, or the fixation seat  26  is made of magnetic metal, or the fixation seat  26  is made of nonmetallic material with a connecting electrode. The fixation seat  26  consists of: a sleeve  261 , a separation plate  262  transversely positioned in the middle of the sleeve  261 , two cylindrical chambers respectively formed at two sides of the separation plate  262 , a through hole  2621  opened in the middle of the separation plate  262  and interconnected to the two cylindrical chambers, and a mounting groove  263  radially concaved from an external surface of the sleeve  261  at the position of the separation plate  262 , the mounting groove  263  being configured to be sleeved with a sealing ring  264 . 
     In this embodiment, a method for heat insulation and heat dissipation of the cotton-free electronic cigarette comprises: dissipating heat generated from the vaporizer unit  25  along the vapor flow passage formed between the exterior longitudinal flat surface  211  and the heat insulation sleeve  5 , and discharging a part of the heat outside the cotton-free electronic cigarette through thermal conductivity of the heat insulation sleeve  5 . 
     All the above are the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the invention.