Patent Publication Number: US-9427023-B2

Title: Electronic cigarette and electronic cigarette device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 National Phase conversion of International (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT/CN2012/077235, filed on Jun. 20, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The PCT International Patent Application was filed in Chinese. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a field of electronic cigarettes, and particularly to an electronic cigarette device comprising an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette casing. 
     DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND 
     Current electronic cigarettes and electronic cigarette casings are made of plastic or metallic materials, the electronic cigarettes generally comprise a sucking rod and a power rod, while the sucking rod comprises: a sucking cylinder, a sucking nozzle, a liquid smoke cup for reserving liquid smoke, and an atomizing device fixed in the sucking cylinder, the atomizing device comprises an atomizer and an atomizing cup separately configured for accommodating the atomizer and so on; the sucking nozzle, the sucking cylinder and so on are made of plastic or metallic materials. 
     The current electronic cigarettes have the following shortcomings: the sucking nozzle and the casing made of plastic have peculiar smell, environmental pollution, poor taste, and harm to human health; the atomizing device having the separately configured atomizing cup has a complex inner structure and high cost of production. The electronic cigarette also has the problems of environmental pollution, poor taste etc. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present invention is: to provide an electronic cigarette which has a wooden sucking nozzle and/or a wooden sucking cylinder, which is better for health, hygiene and environmental protection, and has a good taste and a good feel; and the atomizer in the electronic cigarette is simple in structure, easy to manufacture, and can save in the cost of production. 
     To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette, comprising a sucking cylinder, a sucking nozzle configured at an end of the sucking cylinder; wherein the sucking nozzle and/or the sucking cylinder are processed with wooden material. 
     Furthermore, the wooden material is natural timber; and the natural timber comprises one or more kinds of pine wood, mahogany, yellow rosewood, red sandalwood, rosewood, wenge, oak, walnut, maple, birch, cherrywood, hickories, camphor; processing technologies comprise wood cutting, wood forming processing, wood surface decoration and disinfection. 
     Furthermore, the sucking nozzle defines a through venthole therein, which comprises a hemispherical end suitable for users&#39; mouth. 
     Furthermore, the sucking nozzle further comprises a plug end matched with an inner wall of the sucking cylinder and inserted into an end of the sucking cylinder. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette further comprises a liquid smoke cup and an atomizer which are located within the sucking cylinder; the liquid smoke cup comprises a cup holder and a lid which are opposite to each other and spaced from each other by a certain distance and engaged with an inner wall of the sucking cylinder by expansion, and a conduit and a liquid storage component which are fixed between the cup holder and the lid, the liquid storage component is sleeved around the conduit; the conduit has opened opposite ends and a hollow inside, the atomizer is hold on the conduit. 
     Furthermore, the atomizer comprises a heating wire and a fiber element for supporting the heating wire and absorbing liquid smoke, the conduit forms a locking slot radially extended through a sidewall of the conduit for maintaining the fiber element, the fiber element is fixed in the locking slot and opposite ends of the fiber element abut against the liquid storage component to absorb the liquid smoke for being atomized by the heating wire. 
     Furthermore, the cup holder and the lid both have a cylindrical cup-shaped structure, and form a positioning post, and defines an annular internal cavity, the positioning post of the lid and the positioning post of the cup holder are corresponded to each other, and respectively opposite ends of the conduit; the annular internal cavity of the lid and the annular internal cavity of the cup holder are corresponded to each other, and respectively receive opposite ends of the liquid storage component. 
     Furthermore, the sucking cylinder further comprises a liquid isolating seat configured at a bottom of the cup holder for preventing liquid leakage, the liquid isolating seat defines a venthole axially extended therethrough. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette further comprises a bottom cap covering another end of the sucking cylinder; the bottom cap is made of a wooden material. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette further comprises a batter sleeve and a battery; the battery sleeve is mounted within the sucking cylinder and fixed by the bottom cap; the battery is mounted within the battery sleeve. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette further comprises a liquid barrier capable of absorbing and separating liquid and disposed at a top of the battery sleeve which is close to the liquid smoke cup. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette further comprises a control module holder and a control module, the control module holder is fixed into the inner wall of the sucking cylinder and located between the bottom cap and the battery sleeve; the control module is fixed into the control module holder and electrically connected with the battery. 
     Furthermore, the fiber element comprises a horizontal rod and two longitudinal rods respectively connected with opposite ends of the horizontal rod to form an integral unit together with the horizontal rod, wherein the heating wire is wound on the horizontal rod, opposite ends of the heating wire correspondingly are attached on inner walls of the longitudinal rods, and projected from the liquid smoke cup to electrically connect with the battery; the two longitudinal rods of the fiber element are respectively firmly clamped between the inner wall of the liquid storage component and the outer wall of the conduit; the liquid smoke cup further defines perforations axially extended through a bottom of the cup holder for the heating wire to pass through, an engaging conjunction of the heating wire and the perforations is circumferentially sealed. 
     The present invention further provides an electronic cigarette device, comprising the above-mentioned electronic cigarette, and further comprising an electronic cigarette casing, adapted for accommodating and charging the electronic cigarette. 
     Furthermore, the electronic cigarette casing comprises a bottom box, a box cover covering the bottom box, a charging circuit unit, and a rechargeable battery; the bottom box and/or the box cover are made of wooden material. 
     The technical advantage of the embodiments of the present invention is that: the sucking nozzle and the sucking cylinder are made of a wooden material, which is better for health, hygiene and environmental protection, and has a good taste and a good feel. 
     It is not needed to separately provide an atomizing cup, the atomizer is directly fixed within the liquid smoke cup, so that electronic cigarette is simple in structure, easy to manufacture, and can save in the production cost. 
     The bottom box and box cover of the electronic cigarette casing are made of wooden materials, for environmental protection and good feel. 
     The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electronic cigarette in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an electronic cigarette in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic cigarette in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a cup holder of a liquid smoke cup in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a lid of a liquid smoke cup in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a liquid isolating seat of a liquid smoke cup in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a sucking nozzle of a liquid smoke cup in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of an electronic cigarette casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an isometric view of an electronic cigarette casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of an electronic cigarette casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown from  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 10 , a wooden electronic cigarette device provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises an electronic cigarette  100  and an electronic cigarette casing  200  for accommodating and charging the electronic cigarette  100 . 
     As shown from  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 , the electronic cigarette  100  comprises a sucking cylinder  1 , an atomizer  21  for transferring liquid smoke into fogged smoke, a liquid smoke cup  3  for accommodating the liquid smoke and a sucking nozzle  4 . The sucking nozzle  4  is configured at an end of the sucking cylinder  1 , the atomizer  21  and the liquid smoke cup  3  are securely located within the sucking cylinder  1 . Wherein at least part of the sucking nozzle  4  where it directly contacts with user is made of wooden materials, which is better for health, hygiene, environmental protection and has a good taste and a good feel. It adopts natural timber as the woden materials. The natural timber is such species including: pine, mahogany, yellow rosewood, red sandalwood, rosewood, wenge, oak, walnut, maple, birch, cherrywood, hickories, camphor and so on. Processing steps of the timber comprises: wood cutting, wood processing, wood surface decoration and disinfection etc. A processing method of the timber comprises: material drying, sawing, cutting, planing, milling, drilling, polishing, and disinfecting. Processing equipments can be conventional lathes, milling machines, drilling machines, and polishing machines. 
     The electronic cigarette  100  can have its whole shell such as the sucking cylinder  1 , made of wooden materials, the materials and the processing method can be referenced with the above-description. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the sucking cylinder  1  has a hollow, elongated and cylindrical structure. In the embodiment, it is substantially a cylindrical shell, of course, the sucking cylinder  1  can also be a sleeve with a predetermined taper or in other shapes. The sucking cylinder  1  is made of plastic material, the sucking cylinder  1  can be designed to be wholly transparent or at least partially transparent, the location to install the liquid smoke cup  3  is transparent or the location to install the liquid smoke cup  3  is provided with an observation window to easily observe the liquid smoke volume in the liquid smoke cup  3 . The sucking cylinder  1  is opened at both opposite ends thereof, comprises a top portion  11  connected with the sucking nozzle  4  and a bottom portion  12  opposite to the top portion  11 , the bottom portion  12  is provided with a bottom cap  13 , a battery  14 , a battery sleeve  15 , a control module  16  for controlling the atomizer  21  to work and a control module holder  17 . The bottom cap  13  is cylindrical, and is defined with an air intake  131  in its side wall along an axial direction thereof, so that air can enter the sucking cylinder  1 , the bottom cap  13  is provided at its bottom with a flange  132  which is radially outwardly extended and matched with the sucking cylinder  1  for positioning. The battery  14  is positioned into the battery sleeve  15 , the control module  16  is electrically connected with electrodes of the battery  14  and the atomizer  21  respectively, and is provided with a miniature pneumatic switch to switch on the control circuit and start the atomizer  21  to work; the control module holder  17  is defined with a receiving slot for accommodating the control module  16  and an axially penetrating venthole therein, the control module  17  is engaged with a bottom of the battery sleeve  15  by plugging to position the battery sleeve  15  into the sucking cylinder  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the atomizer  21  is adapted for transferring the liquid smoke into fogged smoke, and comprises a heating wire  211  and a fiber element  212  for absorbing the liquid smoke and supporting the heating wire  211 , and the heating wire  211  is wound on the fiber element  212 . In the embodiment, the fiber element  212  is received and fixed within the liquid smoke cup  3 , and comprises a horizontal rod and two longitudinal rods integrally connected with opposite ends of the horizontal rod, length of the longitudinal rods is capable of being appropriately adjusted according to the height of the liquid storage component  37 , the fiber element  212  is wholly disposed within the liquid smoke cup  3 ; the heating wire  211  is wound on the horizontal rod of the fiber element  212 , the heating wire  211  has its opposite ends correspondingly attached on inner walls of the longitudinal rods of the fiber element  212  and projected from the liquid smoke cup  3  into the battery sleeve  15  to electrically connect with the positive electrode and negative electrode of the battery  14 . The fiber element  212  is capable of absorbing water and reserving water like a sponge, and can be made of a material having a liquid-absorbent and fluid barrier properties, such as a cotton material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the liquid smoke cup  3  comprises a cup holder  31 , a lid  33 , a conduit  35 , a liquid storage component  37  and a liquid isolating seat  38 . Wherein, the cup holder  31  and the lid  33  are fixed on the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1  opposite to each other and spaced from each other in a certain distance; the conduit  35  is fixed between the cup holder  31  and the lid  33 ; the liquid storage component  37  is fixed at an exterior of the conduit and disposed between the cup holder  31  and the lid  33 . The liquid isolating seat  38  is disposed at a side of the cup holder  31  opposite to the lid  33 , abuts against the cup holder  31  and is secured to the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1  by expansion. 
     In the embodiment, the cup holder  31  (see  FIG. 4 ) is a cylindrical cup, comprises an annular sidewall  318 , a round cup bottom  319 , and a positioning post  311  axially extended from a central portion of the cup bottom  319 . Wherein the annular sidewall  318  and the positioning post  311  define an annular internal cavity  317  therebetween; a cup holder venthole  312  is axially extended through the positioning post  311  and the cup bottom  319 ; the cup bottom  319  is provided with two perforations  313  for the heating wire  211  to pass through. An external of the sidewall  318  is provided with expanding rings  314  for engaging with the sucking cylinder  1  by expansion, the cup holder  31  is secured to the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1  by expansion utilizing the sidewall  318  and the expanding rings  314 . 
     The lid  33  (see  FIG. 5 ) can be made of plastic material, and its shape and size are matched with the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1 . In the embodiment, it is a cylindrical cover, and comprises an external annular sidewall  338 , a top wall  339 , and a positioning post  331  axially extended from a central portion of the top wall  339 . The positioning post  331  and the sidewall  338  together define an annular internal cavity  337 . A lid venthole  332  axially extends through the positioning post  331  and the top wall  339 . The lid  33  has its external diameter slightly bigger than an inner diameter of the sucking cylinder  1 , and the lid  33  is secured to the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1  by expansion via the sidewall  338 . When the liquid smoke in the liquid smoke cup  3  runs out, pull out the sucking nozzle  4 , and then pull out the lid  33 , add liquid smoke into the liquid smoke cup  3 . The positioning post  331  of the lid  33  and the positioning post  311  of the cup holder  31  correspond to each other, and respectively fix the opposite ends of the conduit  35 . The annular internal cavity  337  of the lid  33  and the annular internal cavity  317  of the cup holder correspond to each other, and respectively receive the opposite ends of the liquid storage component  37 . 
     The conduit  35  (see  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ) is used for supporting the liquid storage component  37 , and simultaneously for restraining a height of the liquid smoke cup  3  and supporting the fiber element  212 , and further leads the smoke generated by the atomizer  21  atomizing the liquid smoke to an exterior of the sucking cylinder  1 . In the embodiment, the conduit  35  is a hollow pipe, and can be made of plastic or a fiber material, such as a fiberglass tube, and comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion thereof is sleeved around the positioning post  331  of the lid  33  and circumferentially hermetically engaged with it, and the bottom portion is sleeved around the positioning post  311  of the cup holder  31  and circumferentially hermetically engaged with it. The conduit  35  forms a locking slot  351  radially extended through the sidewall of the conduit  35 , for supporting and fixing the fiber element  212 , the fiber element  212  is mounted into the locking slot  351  and abuts against the liquid storage component  37  to absorb the liquid smoke for being atomized by the heating wire  211 . 
     The liquid storage component  37  (see  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ) is used for absorbing and storing the liquid smoke injected into the liquid smoke cup  3  for a subsequent atomization by the atomizer  21 , which can absorb water and reserve water like a sponge, and can be made of a material capable of absorbing and isolating liquid, such as a cotton material. The liquid storage component  37  has a hollow tube structure, which is sleeved around an outer wall of the conduit  35  and supported by the outer wall of the conduit  35  with mutual expansion thereof, and its opposite ends are respectively inserted into the annular cavity  317  of the cup holder  31  and the annular cavity  337  of the lid  33 , and maintained between sidewalls which enclose the annular cavities. The liquid storage component  37  has its sidewall to abut against the fiber element  212 , in the embodiment, the two longitudinal rods of the fiber element  212  are firmly clamped between the inner wall of the liquid storage component  37  and the outer wall of the conduit  35 , the liquid smoke penetrates into the fiber element  212  from the liquid storage component  37  and is absorbed by the fiber element  212  to be vaporized into smoke by the heating wire  211 . 
     The liquid isolating seat  38  (see  FIG. 6 ) is used for preventing the liquid smoke in the atomizer  2  liquid smoke cup  3  from flowing into the battery sleeve  15 . The liquid isolating seat  38  has a cylindrical cup-shaped structure, which is made of a silicone material. Its open end abuts against the cup holder  31 , its bottom wall defines plug holes  381  for the heating wire  211  to extend through, the heating wire  211  extends through the perforations  313  and extends out of the plug holes  381  and is mutually engaged with inner walls of the plug holes  381  by expansion, the heating wire  211  is mutually engaged with the inner walls of the perforations  313  and the plug holes  381  by expansion, and the engaging conjunction is circumferentially sealed to avoid a leakage of the liquid smoke; the liquid isolating seat  38  defines a venthole  382  axially extended through a central portion thereof, the oil isolating seat  38  internally defines an inner chamber  383 ; the liquid isolating seat  38  forms an annular convex platform  384  axially outwardly extended from its bottom, in order to engage with a top of the battery sleeve  15  by plugging to position the battery sleeve  15 . The oil isolating seat  38  forms expanding rings  385  on its sidewall for engaging with the sucking cylinder by expansion. Between the liquid isolating seat  38  and the battery sleeve  15  is provided with a liquid barrier  151 , which is sleeved by a top of the battery sleeve  15 , and is made of a material capable of absorbing and isolating liquid, such as a cotton material, for further preventing even a small amount of leakage liquid into the battery sleeve  15 . In the embodiment, the heating wire  211  has its opposite ends respectively extending through the cup holder  31 , the liquid isolating seat  38  and the liquid barrier  151 , and then electrically connected with the electrodes of the battery  14 , the liquid barrier  151  is engaged with the heating wire  211  and the battery sleeve  15  by expansion to prevent the liquid smoke to go into the battery sleeve  15 . In the embodiment, the smoke passage in the liquid smoke cup  3  is jointly limited by the cup holder venthole  312  of the cup holder  31 , a through hole in the conduit  35  and together with the lid venthole  332  of the lid  33 . 
     The sucking nozzle  4  (see  FIG. 7 ) comprises a sucking end  41  and a plug end  42  matched with the top portion  11  of the sucking cylinder  1 . The sucking nozzle  4  defines a venthole  43  axially extending therethrough. In the embodiment, the sucking end  41  hemispherical, it comprises a cylindrical section located in the root thereof and a hemispherical section located at a top thereof, since the cylindrical section is short, the sucking end  41  as a whole is roughly hemisphere-shaped and has its outer diameter gradually smaller from the root to the top thereof; certainly, the sucking end  41  is not limited to this shape, for example, it can also have a shape of a circular column with uniform outer diameter(As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ). The plug end  42  is cylindrical, the plug end  42  has an outer diameter smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the sucking end  41  and slightly larger than an inner diameter of the top portion  11  of the sucking cylinder  1 , between the sucking end  41  and the plug end  42  is provided with a positioning step  44  for being positioned to the sucking cylinder  1 ; the plug connector  42  is inserted into the top portion of the sucking cylinder  1  and secured to the inner wall of the sucking cylinder  1  by expansion, and positioned in place through the positioning step  44 . 
     The sucking nozzle  4  in the embodiment is made of wooden materials for a good taste, health and environmental protection. The atomizer  21  and the liquid smoke cup  3  have simple structures, and share some elements, so as for facilitating production and greatly saving manufacturing cost. 
     Understandably, the sucking cylinder  1  and/the battery sleeve  15  and/or the bottom cap  13  can also be made of wooden materials, therefore, the electronic cigarette has better appearance and touch feeling, and low cost, better environmental protection. 
     As shown from  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 10 , the electronic cigarette casing  200  comprises a bottom box  81 , a box cover  81  matched with the bottom box  81 , an on-off device  83  with a button  831  and a charging assembly  7  with a rechargeable battery  71 , the rechargeable battery  71  is for charging the electronic cigarette  100 . 
     The bottom box  81  is a hollow box, with a rectangular shape in the embodiment, and is provided with a first bracket  85  therein for accommodating and securing the rechargeable battery  71  and a second bracket  86  for supporting the electronic cigarette  100 . The box cover  82  in the embodiment is pivotally mounted to the bottom box  81  through the on-off device  83 , and the box cover can automatically bounce by pressing the button  831 . The bottom box  81 , the box cover  83  and/or the button  83  can be made of wooden materials, therefore, the electronic cigarette casing  200  has better appearance and touch feeling, and low cost, better environmental protection. 
     The charging assembly  7  is disposed within the box body  81 , and comprises the rechargeable battery  71 , a charging socket  72 , a USB port  73  for connecting with external power supply by a plug and a circuit processing unit with which the rechargeable battery  71 , the charging socket  72  and the USB port  73  are respectively electrically connected, in the embodiment, the charging assembly further comprises a control circuit board  74 , the USB port  73  and the circuit processing unit are integrated onto the control circuit board  74 , the control circuit board is fixed to the first bracket  85 . The USB port  73  is used for connecting with the external power supply to charge the rechargeable battery  71 . 
     The electronic cigarette  100  is inserted into the charging socket  72  and contacts with the positive, negative electrodes to be conducted so that the circuit processing unit on the control circuit board  74  automatically charges or powers off the electronic cigarette  100 . 
     The above-mentioned is only the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted, for the persons of ordinary skill in this field, improvements and modifications within the spirit of the present invention can be made, and the improvements and modifications should be seemed to be included in the claimed scope of this invention.