Abstract:
An exemplary atomizer includes a main body, a liquid supply, a piercing element, and an atomizing assembly. The liquid supply is configured for storing tobacco liquid. The liquid supply is received in the main body. The liquid supply includes an end wall having a fixing part, a sealing part, and a recessed part. The recessed part connects the fixing part and the sealing part. The piercing element is spatially corresponding to the recessed part. The piercing part is configured for pricking the recessed part in response to an external force, so that the tobacco liquid in the liquid supply flows out, and the atomizing assembly absorbs the tobacco liquid flowed out for vaporization.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to electronic cigarettes, and particularly to an atomizer and an electronic cigarette using same. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    Nowadays, electronic cigarettes are becoming more and more popular as substitutes of traditional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes heat tobacco liquid inside to form aerosol. The tobacco liquid keeps volatilizing during transportation and sale. Accordingly, a period of validity of the tobacco liquid may be short. 
         [0003]    To prolong the period of validity, an electronic cigarette is proposed with a liquid supply containing tobacco liquid. In use, the liquid supply is pushed into a housing of the electronic cigarette, an end wall of the liquid supply is pierced, and then the tobacco liquid flows out to a liquid absorbing component and an atomizing assembly for vaporization. However, sometimes the end wall may be too hard to be pricked. Therefore, user experience is unsatisfactory. 
         [0004]    What is needed, therefore, is an atomizer and an electronic cigarette using same, which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An exemplary atomizer includes a main body, a liquid supply, a piercing element, and an atomizing assembly. The liquid supply is configured for storing tobacco liquid. The liquid supply is received in the main body. The liquid supply includes an end wall having a fixing part, a sealing part, and a recessed part. The recessed part connects the fixing part and the sealing part. The piercing element is spatially corresponding to the recessed part. The piercing part is configured for pricking the recessed part in response to an external force, so that the tobacco liquid in the liquid supply flows out, and the atomizing assembly absorbs the tobacco liquid flowed out for vaporization. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    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. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an atomizer according to a first embodiment including a piercing element and a liquid supply, when the piercing element does not pierce the liquid supply. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an atomizer of  FIG. 1 , when the piercing element pierces the liquid supply. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a partially cut-away view of the main body of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the liquid supply of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the liquid supply of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic cigarette according to a second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    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. 
         [0014]    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. 
         [0015]    Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
         [0016]    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. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an atomizer  10  sequentially includes a mouthpiece  12 , a main body  14 , and a holder  16 . The mouthpiece  12  defines an air outlet  122 . The main body  14  is engaged with the mouthpiece  12  and the holder  16  via screw threads. The mouthpiece  12  and the main body  14  cooperatively define a receiving space  11  for receiving a liquid supply  18 . The main body  14  and the holder  16  together define a liquid chamber  13 . The liquid chamber  13  includes a liquid storage area  132  and a liquid absorbing area  134 . The liquid absorbing area  134  communicates with the liquid storage area  132 , and is narrower than the liquid chamber  13 . The mouthpiece  12  is provided with a first air pipe  124  in communication with the air outlet  122 . The main body  14  is provided with a second air pipe  126  hermetically connected with the first air pipe  124 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the main body  14  includes a partition plate  144  separating the receiving space  11  and the liquid chamber  13 . The receiving space  11  and the liquid chamber  13  are in communication via the through hole  1442 . The partition plate  144  includes a piercing element  1444  formed on a surface adjacent to the mouthpiece  12 . Quite usefully, the piercing element  1444  is a continuous protrusion along a circle. The protrusion is triangular in cross-section. It is to be understood that the protrusion may also be discontinuous. 
         [0019]    The atomizer  10  further includes an atomizing assembly  15  in the liquid absorbing area  134 . The atomizing assembly  15  includes two liquid absorbing bodies  152  and a heating wire (not labeled) wound around one of the two liquid absorbing bodies  152 . The two liquid absorbing bodies  152  are arranged in parallel, and are in contact with each other. The liquid absorbing bodies  152  may be made of porous material, for example, glass fiber. An end of the second air pipe  126  tightly abuts against one of the liquid absorbing bodies  152 . Two ends of at least one of the liquid absorbing bodies  152  are both in contact with tobacco liquid in the liquid absorbing area, so that the at least one of the liquid absorbing bodies  152  absorbs the tobacco liquid. Two opposite ends of the heating wire are respectively connected to an inner electrode  162  and an outer electrode  164 . The inner electrode  162  and the outer electrode  164  are connected with two electrodes of an external power supply, respectively. In the present embodiment, the atomizing assembly  15  includes two liquid absorbing bodies  152 . It is to be noted that in other embodiments, the atomizer  10  may include only one liquid absorbing body  152 . Accordingly, the atomizer  10  generates more aerosol than that including only one liquid absorbing body  152 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , the liquid supply  18  is annular in cross-section. The liquid supply  18  is substantially a cylinder defining a cylindrical through hole in a central part thereof The through hole allows the first air pipe  124  to pass through. The liquid supply  18  includes tobacco liquid sealed therein. The liquid supply  18  includes a bottom wall  184  (one of two opposite end walls). The bottom wall  184  includes a fixing part  187 , a sealing part  186 , and a recessed part  1842  connecting the fixing part  187  and the sealing part  186 . The recessed part  1842  is arranged along a circle, and surrounds the sealing part  186 . The recessed part  1842  is triangular in cross-section. It is to be noted that the recessed part  1842  may be arc-shaped or rectangular in cross-section in other embodiments. The recessed part  1842  is spatially corresponding to the piercing part  1444 , so that the piercing part  1444  pricks the recessed part  1842 , and then the tobacco liquid in the liquid supply  18  flows out. The liquid supply  18  may be made of plastic or metal. Quite usefully, the bottom wall  144  is made of metal, e.g., aluminum. In the present embodiment, the liquid supply  18  is made of aluminum. 
         [0021]    Further, an elastic gasket  142  is sandwiched between the liquid supply  18  and the partition plate  144 . The elastic gasket  142  is configured (i.e., structured and arranged) for supporting the liquid supply  18 , and preventing the piercing element from pricking the liquid supply  18  before use. 
         [0022]    When the atomizer  10  is not used, the piercing element  1444  does not pierce the liquid supply  18 . In use, the mouthpiece  12  is rotated relative to the main body  14 , the mouthpiece  12  drives the liquid supply  18  to move towards the piercing element  1444 , and the elastic gasket  142  is pressed. The mouthpiece  12  is further rotated relative to the main body  14  until an end of the screw threads. In this position, the elastic gasket  142  is further squeezed, the piercing element  1444  pricks the liquid supply  18  via the recessed part  1842 , and then the tobacco liquid flows into the liquid chamber  13  via the through hole  1442 . The two liquid absorbing bodies  152  absorb the tobacco liquid from the liquid chamber  13  for vaporization. When the atomizer  10  is coupled to the power supply, the power supply feeds the atomizer  10  power. After the tobacco liquid in the liquid supply  18  is used up, the mouthpiece  12  is screwed off from the main body  14 , and a new liquid supply  18  is replaced. 
         [0023]    It is to be understood that, in other embodiments, the sealing part  186  and the recessed part  842  may be arranged on a top wall  188  of the liquid supply  18 . Correspondingly, the piercing element  1444  is located above the liquid supply  18 . 
         [0024]    It is to be understood that, in other embodiments, the recessed part  1842  may be arranged in other shapes, e.g., in an ellipse. 
         [0025]    It is to be understood that, the holder  16  of the atomizer  10  may define an air inlet (not shown) in communication with the second air pipe  126 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , an electronic cigarette  20  includes an atomizer  10  and a power supply  30  detachably connected with the atomizer  10 . The power supply  30  provides the atomizer power. In the present embodiment, the atomizer  10  and the power supply  30  are coupled by screw threads. 
         [0027]    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.