Patent Publication Number: US-9888727-B2

Title: Heating assembly, atomizer and electronic cigarette having same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to electronic cigarettes, and particularly to a heating assembly, an atomizer and an electronic cigarette using same. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A typical heating assembly in an atomizer includes a liquid conducting body and a heating wire wrapped around the liquid conducting body. The liquid conducting body is usually made of glass fiber core. However, this kind of heating assembly may be unsuitable for atomizers of large wattage. For example, after assembling, a gap between the heating wire and a surface of the glass fiber core may be uneven. When the heating wire heats in large wattage, the glass fiber core may be burnt due to high temperature, thus rendering user experience unsatisfactory. 
     What are needed, therefore, are a heating assembly, an atomizer and an electronic cigarette using same, which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary heating assembly includes a substrate, a heating part formed on the substrate, an electrode part connected with the heating part, and a liquid conducting body configured for absorbing tobacco liquid. The liquid conducting body is in tight contact with the substrate. The liquid conducting body is capable of conveying the tobacco liquid to the substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure 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 disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an atomizer according to a first embodiment, including a heating assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the heating assembly in the atomizer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a heating assembly according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a heating assembly according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of an electronic cigarette according to a fourth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “outside” refers to a region that is beyond the outermost confines of a physical object. The term “inside” indicates that at least a portion of a region is partially contained within a boundary formed by the object. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other word that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an atomizer  10  for an electronic cigarette is shown. The atomizer  10  includes a housing  101 , a mouthpiece  102  at an end of the housing  101 , a holder  103  configured (i.e., structured and arranged) for connecting to a power supply. The holder  103  includes a plurality of screw threads  112  at a bottom end. The screw threads  112  are configured for connecting with the power supply. The housing  101  is cylindrical, and defines an air inlet  109  at a bottom part. A liquid chamber  104  and a heating assembly  108  are provided in the housing  101 . An air pipe  105  is provided between the heating assembly  108  and the mouthpiece  102 . The liquid chamber  104  is defined between the air pipe  105  and the housing  101 . Tobacco liquid in the liquid chamber  104  can flow down through the liquid hole  106 . The atomizer  10  further includes a bracket  107  configured for fixing the heating assembly  108 . The bracket  107  defines at least one gap (not shown). The heating assembly  108  absorbs the tobacco liquid flowed out of the liquid chamber via the at least one gap, and heats the tobacco liquid. In the present embodiment, the heating assembly  108  is a flat sheet, and is vertically fixed in the bracket  107 . A front side and a rear side of the heating assembly  108  are positioned in the at least one gap, so that the heating assembly  108  can absorb tobacco liquid. A structure of the heating assembly  108  will be described in detail below. When the user inhales from the mouthpiece  102 , external air enters the atomizer  10  via the air inlet  109 , and brings aerosol (generated by the heating assembly  108 ) to pass through the air passage  105 , and is then sucked through the mouthpiece  102 . 
     Quite usefully, the holder  103  defines a slot  111  configured for coupling with the heating assembly  108 . The heating assembly  108  includes an electrode part engaged in the slot  111  to form an electrical connection. The holder  103  is detachably at a bottom part of the housing  101 . A printed circuit board is arranged in the holder  103 , and the slot  111  is formed on the circuit board. The slot  111  is similar to a slot in a personal computer, which is configured for coupling with connecting fingers of a memory bank. The heating assembly  108  can be assembled or detached very easily. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a heating assembly  108  is shown. The heating assembly  108  includes at least one substrate  1081 , a heating part  1084  formed on the substrate  1081 , and an electrode part connected with the heating part  1084 . The heating assembly  108  further includes liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083 . The substrate  1081  is sandwiched between the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083 . The liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  are in tight contact with the heating substrate  1081 , and capable of conveying tobacco liquid to the heating substrate  1081 . The electrode part includes electrodes  1086 ,  1087  configured for connecting with a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a power supply. In the present embodiment, the heating assembly  108  includes three layers, the substrate  1081  is sandwiched between the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083 , and the substrate  1081  includes heating parts  1084  on two opposite surfaces. It is to be understood that in other embodiments, the heating assembly  108  may include more layers arranged in an alternate fashion. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the substrate  1081 , the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  are each in the form of a flat sheet. The heating parts  1084  are metallic twists and turns patterns printed or sintered on the substrate  1081 , thus increasing a heating surface. The heating parts  1084  may be made of a material selecting from a group consisting of nickel, chromium, titanium, manganese, tungsten, molybdenum and alloy thereof. The heating parts  1084  are integrally formed with the substrate  1081  by printing or sintering, so that the heating parts  1084  can heat as a whole. The heating parts  1084  heat tobacco liquid in the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  on two side surfaces thereof. 
     Quite usefully, the substrate  1081  is made of ceramic, and the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  are made of micro porous ceramic. The substrate  1081  and the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  are sintered to form an integral structure. The liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  can absorbs tobacco liquid slowly. The heating assembly can be assembled into the atomizer  10  conveniently. It is to be understood that, the liquid conducting bodies may be made of porous metal, sponge durable of high temperature, fiber cotton, or glass fiber. Alternatively, the substrate  1081  is made of ceramic, and the liquid conducting bodies  1082 ,  1083  are cotton fiber layer pressed on surfaces of the substrate  1081 . 
     Quite usefully, to detect a temperature of the heating assembly  108 , a thermistor layer  1085  is formed on the substrate  1081 . The thermistor layer  1085  is insulated from the heating part  1084 . The thermistor layer  1085  is a metallic pattern in a form of twists and turns. The thermistor layer  1085  is made of metal resistance paste of positive temperature coefficient or negative temperature coefficient, and is printed on the substrate  1081 . The thermistor layer  1085  includes the common electrode  1087  (also the electrode of the heating part  1084 ) and an electrode  1088 . In use of the electronic cigarette, a temperature controlling circuit of in a power supply can detect a temperature of heating assembly via the thermistor layer  1085 , and adjust an output wattage of the heating assembly, so that the temperature of the heating assembly is kept in a stable range. In the present embodiment, the thermistor layer  1085  and the heating part  1084  are formed on an identical side surface of the substrate  1081 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the heating assembly  200  in accordance with a second embodiment is shown. The heating assembly  200  includes a substrate  201  and a liquid conducting body  202 . The liquid conducting body  202  is integrated with the substrate  201  to form of a flat sheet. The thermistor layer  204  and the heating part  203  are formed on an identical side surface of the substrate  201 , which contacts with the liquid conducting body  202 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a cylindrical heating assembly  300  is shown. The heating assembly  300  includes a cylindrical substrate  301  and a cylindrical liquid conducting body  302 . The liquid conducting body  302  nests the substrate  301 . The heating part  303  and the thermistor layer  304  are formed on an external side surface and an internal side surface of the substrate  301 , respectively. Similar to the above embodiments, the liquid conducting body  302  may be made of micro porous ceramic, and is sintered with the substrate  301  to form an integral structure. Tobacco liquid permeates from the external side surface to the internal side surface, and is heated to form aerosol. The aerosol is then expelled via an internal cavity of the substrate  301 . The substrate  301  may further define a plurality of air outlets (not shown), thus facilitating flow of the aerosol. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , an electronic cigarette  30  is shown. The electronic cigarette  30  includes the above atomizer  10  and a power supply  20 . The power supply  20  is detachably connected with the holder  103 , and configured for feeding the atomizer  10  power. 
     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.