Patent Publication Number: US-2023157371-A1

Title: Electronic Cigarette

Description:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to sensor, and more particularly, to an electronic cigarette. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     At present, about 1.1 billion people in the world smoke. Because tobacco contains nicotine, smoking is extremely harmful to health. With the continuous improvement of living standards, more and more people begin to pay attention to health problems. As a substitute for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes have become popular among consumers. 
     The electronic cigarette is powered by the battery inside the electronic cigarette. When consumers want to use the electronic cigarette, they can trigger the electronic cigarette to turn on by sound. However, this method has disadvantages. If the consumer is in a KTV, bar or other noisy environment, the noise from the surrounding environment is easy to cause interference to the electronic cigarette, causing the electronic cigarette switch to be turned on by mistake. 
     In related art, electronic cigarettes use electret differential pressure sensors as the switch function to start the electronic cigarettes, but these electret sensors generally have the following problems: the electronic cigarettes having the electret sensor cannot be performed by surface mounting process, which resulting the production efficiency of the electronic cigarettes is low; the performance consistency of the electronic cigarettes is poor; the electronic cigarette is sensitive to temperature, it will have a large performance change after high temperature; the electronic cigarettes having the electret sensor have a large size. 
     Therefore, it is desired to provide a new electronic cigarette which can overcome the aforesaid problems. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new electronic cigarette. By the present disclosure, the electronic cigarette has the advantages of simple installation, high reliability, high sensitivity and small size. 
     The present disclosure provides an electronic cigarette comprising a housing having a smoking port passing through an upper end of the housing, an atomizer received in the housing and spaced apart from the smoking port, an e-liquid chamber located between the atomizer and the smoking port, and a MEMS sensor located in the housing and on an lower end of the housing. The housing comprises a through hole passing through the lower end thereof, and an air passage communicating with the smoking port. The MEMS sensor comprises a cover having a first opening communicating with the smoking port by the air passage, a printed circuit board forming an accommodating room cooperatively with the cover, and a MEMS chip received in the accommodating room. The printed circuit board comprises a second opening communicating to an outside by the through hole. 
     As an improvement, the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of conductive terminals therein, and the MEMS chip is directly electrically connected to the conductive terminals. 
     As an improvement, the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of conductive terminals therein, the MEMS sensor further comprising an ASIC chip fixing on the printed circuit board, and the MEMS chip is electrically connected to the conductive terminal through the ASIC chip. 
     As an improvement, the cover of the MEMS sensor is a metal cover. 
     As an improvement, the MEMS chip comprises a back plate and a diaphragm spaced apart from the back plate, a plurality of perforations disposed on the back plate. 
     As an improvement, the back plate is proximal to the smoking port than the diaphragm. 
     As an improvement, two pressures coining from the first opening and the second opening respectively simultaneously act on the diaphragm to form a pressure difference, the pressure difference making the diaphragm move to increase an output capacitance value to drive the atomizer work. 
     As an improvement, the diaphragm is proximal to the smoking port than the back plate. 
     As an improvement, two pressures coining from the first opening and the second opening respectively simultaneously act on the diaphragm to form a pressure difference, the pressure difference making the diaphragm move to reduce an output capacitance value to drive the atomizer work. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the exemplary embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG.  1    is an illustrative cross-sectional view of the electronic cigarette of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is an illustrative cross-sectional view of the MEMS sensor of the electronic cigarette in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is an illustrative cross-sectional view of the MEMS sensor of the electronic cigarette in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. To make the technical problems to be solved, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present disclosure more apparent, the present disclosure is described in further detail together with the figures and the embodiments. It should be understood the specific embodiments described hereby are only to explain the disclosure, not intended to limit the disclosure. 
     Referring to the  FIG.  1   , the present disclosure provides an electronic cigarette  100 . The electronic cigarette  100  comprises a housing  1  having a smoking port  11  passing through an upper end thereof, an atomizer  2  received in the housing  1  and spaced apart from the smoking port  11 , an e-liquid chamber  3  located between the atomizer  2  and the smoking port  11 , and a MEMS sensor  4  located in the housing  1  and on an lower end of the housing  1 . Smoke oil is injected into the e-liquid chamber  3 . A through hole  12  is provided passing through the lower end of the housing  1 . 
     Referring to the  FIG.  2   , the present disclosure provides the MEMS sensor  4  of the electronic cigarette  100  in accordance with a first embodiment. The MEMS sensor  4  comprises a cover  41  having a first opening  411 , a printed circuit board  42  forming an accommodating room  40  cooperatively with the cover  41 , and a MEMS chip  43  received in the accommodating room  40 . The printed circuit board  42  comprises a second opening  421  communicating to an outside by the through hole  12 . The housing  1  further comprises an air passage  13  communicating the smoking port  11  and the first opening  411 . The printed circuit board  42  comprises a plurality of conductive terminals  422  therein, and the MEMS chip  43  is directly welded and fixed with the conductive terminals  422  to realize electrical connection. The cover  41  of the MEMS sensor  4  is a metal cover. 
     The MEMS chip  43  comprises a back plate  431  and a diaphragm  432  spaced apart from the back plate  431 . A plurality of perforations  4311  is disposed on the back plate  431 . The back plate  431  is proximal to the smoking port  11  than the diaphragm  432 . In other embodiments, the diaphragm  432  also can be proximal to the smoking port  11  than the back plate  431 . And in other embodiments, the diaphragm  432  also can comprise a plurality of perforations thereon. 
     A microprocessor can be set on the printed circuit board  42 , when a person inhales from the smoking port, and referring to the  FIG.  1   , an arrow direction in  FIG.  1    is the direction of air flow during inhalation. Due to a pressure difference formed by two pressures simultaneously act on the diaphragm coining from the first opening and the second opening respectively, the diaphragm is drove to move to a direction proximal to the smoking port. And the back plate is set closer to the smoking port at this time, a capacitance between the back plate and the diaphragm will increase, and the MEMS sensor will output a corresponding electrical signal. After the signal is processed, the microprocessor will receive the signal and output another corresponding signal to drive the atomizer to work. Thereby the smoke is generated, and the smoke is flowed into the person&#39;s mouth along the air passage. 
     Similarly, when the diaphragm is set closer to the smoking port at this time, due to the pressure difference formed by the two pressures simultaneously act on the diaphragm, the diaphragm is drove to move to a direction proximal to the smoking port. The capacitance between the back plate and the diaphragm will reduce, and the MEMS sensor will output the corresponding electrical signal. After the signal is processed, the microprocessor will receive the signal and output another corresponding signal to drive the atomizer to work. Thereby the smoke is generated, and the smoke is flowed into the person&#39;s mouth along the air passage. 
     Referring to the  FIG.  3   , the present disclosure provides the MEMS sensor  4 ′ of the electronic cigarette  100  in accordance with a second embodiment. The MEMS sensor  4 ′ comprises a cover  41 ′ having a first opening  411 ′, a printed circuit board  42 ′ forming an accommodating room  40 ′ cooperatively with the cover  41 ′, and a MEMS chip  43 ′ and an ASIC chip  44 ′ received in the accommodating room  40 ′. The printed circuit board  42 ′ comprises a second opening  421 ′ communicating to an outside by the through hole. The printed circuit board  42 ′ comprises a plurality of conductive terminals  422 ′ therein, and the MEMS chip  43 ′ is electrically connected to the conductive terminals  422 ′ through the ASIC chip  44 ′. The cover  41 ′ of the MEMS sensor  4 ′ is a metal cover. 
     The MEMS chip  43 ′ comprises a back plate  431 ′ and diaphragm  432 ′ spaced apart from the back plate  431 ′. A plurality of perforations  4311 ′ is disposed on the back plate  431 ′. The back plate  431 ′ is proximal to the smoking port than the diaphragm  432 ′. In other embodiments, the diaphragm  432 ′ also can be proximal to the smoking port than the back plate  431 ′. And in other embodiments, the diaphragm  432 ′ also can comprise a plurality of perforations thereon. 
     A microprocessor can be set on the printed circuit board  42 ′, or the microprocessor can be integrated on the ASIC chip  44 ′. When a person inhales from the smoking port, due to a pressure difference formed by two pressures simultaneously act on the diaphragm coining from the first opening and the second opening respectively, the diaphragm is drove to move to a direction proximal to the smoking port. And the back plate is set closer to the smoking port at this time, a capacitance between the back plate and the diaphragm will increase, and the ASIC chip detects this change and outputs an electrical signal. After the signal is processed, the microprocessor will receive the signal and output a corresponding signal to drive the atomizer to work. Thereby the smoke is generated, and the smoke is flowed into the person&#39;s mouth along the air passage. 
     Similarly, when the diaphragm is set closer to the smoking port at this time, due to the pressure difference formed by the two pressures simultaneously act on the diaphragm, the diaphragm is drove to move to a direction proximal to the smoking port. The capacitance between the back plate and the diaphragm will reduce, and the ASIC chip detects this change and outputs an electrical signal. After the signal is processed, the microprocessor will receive the signal and output another corresponding signal to drive the atomizer to work. Thereby the smoke is generated, and the smoke is flowed into the person&#39;s mouth along the air passage. 
     Comparing with the related art, in the electronic cigarette of present disclosure, the MEMS sensor can be directly welded and fixed in the housing of the electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette has the advantages of easy installation, high production efficiency, stable structure, good consistency, high temperature resistance, and small size. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms where the appended claims are expressed.