FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of electronic cigarettes, and in particular
to an electronic cigarette and an airflow switch bracket, an airflow switch assembly
and a power supply device thereof.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In structure, an electronic cigarette roughly includes a power supply device, an
atomization device and a suction nozzle. The power supply device is provided with
an airflow switch assembly, and an airflow switch bracket is arranged around the airflow
switch assembly to fix the airflow switch assembly. The airflow switch bracket is
provided with a through hole as an airflow channel. The airflow switch assembly is
embedded in the airflow channel of the airflow switch bracket. The electronic cigarette
controls the start and stop of the power supply device and the atomization device
through the airflow switch assembly.
[0003] At present, the airflow switch brackets of the existing electronic cigarettes are
provided with through holes as airflow channels to generate pressure differences and
activate the airflow switch. The condensate or liquid leakage generated by the atomization
device during the working process will be conducted to the airflow switch assembly
through the airflow channel, which easily causes damage to the airflow switch assembly
or contaminates a PCBA board or a battery, thereby causing the failure of the electronic
cigarette in normal use or even causing the battery to short-circuit and spontaneously
ignite.
SUMMARY
[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a high-safety closed
airflow switch bracket of an electronic cigarette, as well as an airflow switch assembly,
power supply device and electronic cigarette having the airflow switch bracket.
[0005] The technical solution adopted by the invention to solve its technical problem is
to provide an airflow switch bracket of an electronic cigarette, including a base,
a bottom surface of the base being provided with a groove for accommodating an airflow
switch, the groove extending from the bottom surface of the base to a top surface
of the base so that a thin-walled layer sealed on the groove is formed on the top
surface of the base.
[0006] The thin-walled layer being deformed when an air flow passes by, so that a negative
pressure is generated in a space between the groove and the airflow switch to control
the on/off of the airflow switch.
[0007] Preferably, an outer circumference of the base is circular, and the groove and the
thin-walled layer are also circular, respectively.
[0008] Preferably, the bottom surface of the base is further provided with two electrode
slots located on two sides of the groove and isolated from the groove, the top surface
of the base is provided with two electrode holes, the two electrode holes are located
on two sides of the thin-walled layer and respectively come into communication with
the corresponding electrode slots.
[0009] Preferably, the thin-walled layer is 0.05 ± 0.02 mm thick.
[0010] Preferably, the groove includes a first groove portion and a second groove portion
that communicate with each other, the first groove portion being configured to accommodate
the airflow switch therein, the second groove portion being configured to space the
airflow switch from the thin-walled layer; the second groove portion is located between
the first groove portion and the thin-walled layer and an outer circumferential size
of the second groove portion is smaller than an outer circumferential size of the
first groove portion.
[0011] The invention further provides an airflow switch assembly, including an adapter board,
an airflow switch, and the airflow switch bracket described in any one of the above,
the airflow switch being connected to the adapter board and accommodated in the groove
in the base of the airflow switch bracket, an outer circumference of the airflow switch
being in a sealing fit with an inner circumference of the groove.
[0012] Preferably, the airflow switch assembly further includes two electrodes connected
to the adapter board, and the two electrodes penetrate into electrode slots of the
base, with their tops going out of electrode holes in communication with the electrode
slots.
[0013] The invention further provides a power supply device of an electronic cigarette,
including the airflow switch bracket described in any one of the above or the airflow
switch assembly described in any one of the above.
[0014] The invention also provides an electronic cigarette, comprising a power supply device
and an atomization device connected to each other, and a suction nozzle fitted on
an end of the atomization device away from the power supply device. The power supply
device includes the airflow switch assembly described in any one of the above, and
the electrodes of the airflow switch assembly are electrically connected with conductors
of the atomization device.
[0015] Preferably, an air inlet is arranged at a side of the atomization device or at a
junction between the atomization device and the power supply device. The atomization
device is provided therein with an airflow channel communicating the air inlet and
the suction nozzle. When an air flow entering the atomization device through the air
inlet passes over the thin-walled layer of the airflow switch assembly, the thin-walled
layer is deformed and then a negative pressure is generated in the airflow switch
assembly to control the on/off of the airflow switch.
[0016] The airflow switch bracket of the invention adopts a thin-walled layer to replace
the arrangement of through holes, and thus the airflow switch bracket is configured
as a closed bracket. In the electronic cigarette, the thin-walled layer can be deformed
when the airflow passes by, thereby controlling the on/off of the airflow switch.
It can effectively prevent tobacco juice from leaking to the airflow switch or contaminating
the adapter board or a battery, thereby effectively increasing the service life and
safety performance of the electronic cigarette.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings
and specific embodiments. In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic structural diagram of an airflow switch bracket
of a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the airflow switch bracket
of the first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of an airflow switch bracket
according to a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic cigarette according to an
embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the electronic cigarette
shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0018] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives and
effects of the invention, the specific embodiments of the invention will now be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airflow switch bracket of an electronic cigarette
according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a base 10. In the electronic
cigarette, a side of the base 10 facing a suction nozzle is defined as a top surface,
and its opposite side is defined as a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the base
10 is provided with a groove 101 for accommodating and positioning the airflow switch.
[0020] The groove 101 extends from the bottom surface of the base 10 to the top surface
of the base 10, without penetrating the top surface of the base 10, so that a thin-walled
layer 102 sealed on the groove 101 is formed on the top surface of the base 10. Viewed
from the base 10, an opening of the groove 101 faces downward, and the thin-walled
layer 102 also constitutes a top end of the groove 101.
[0021] The thin-walled layer 102 can be integrally molded with the base 10 as an integral
structure. The thickness of the thin-walled layer 102 is smaller than that of other
parts of the base 10, and the thin-walled layer 102 can be as thin as being close
to or equal to the thickness of a thin film, so that the thin-walled layer 102 can
be deformed and restored.
[0022] The thin-walled layer 102 may be 0.05 ± 0.02 mm thick.
[0023] In the electronic cigarette, the thin-walled layer 102 can be deformed when an air
flow passes by, and then a negative pressure is generated in space between the groove
101 and the airflow switch so as to control the on/off of the airflow switch. As a
result, there is no need to provide through holes for the airflow to pass through,
and it also eliminates the contamination problems caused by liquids such as tobacco
juice leaking from the through hole to the airflow switch and a power supply device.
[0024] The groove 101 may further include a first groove portion 111 and a second groove
portion 112 that communicates with each other. The airflow switch is mainly accommodated
in the first groove portion 111, and when the airflow switch is accommodated in the
first groove portion 111, an outer circumference of the airflow switch is in sealed
fit with an inner circumference of the first groove portion 111. The second groove
portion 112 is located between the first groove portion 111 and the thin-walled layer
102 and configured to space the airflow switch from the thin-walled layer 102. Moreover,
the second groove portion 112 can produce a negative pressure when the airflow passes
through the thin-walled layer 102, and then the airflow switch can be turned on or
off.
[0025] In this embodiment, an outer circumferential size of the second groove portion 112
is smaller than an outer circumferential size of the first groove portion 111. For
example, for a circular groove 101, a diameter of the first groove portion 111 is
greater than that of the second groove portion 112, a stepped surface is formed at
a junction of the first groove portion 111 and the second groove portion 112, and
the top of the airflow switch can abut against the stepped surface.
[0026] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the base 10 is further provided with two
electrode slots 103 for accommodating electrodes. The two electrode slots 103 are
located on two sides of the groove 101 and are isolated from the groove 101 and do
not communicate with each other. The top surface of the base 10 is provided with two
electrode holes 104 for ends of the electrodes pass through the base 10. The two electrode
holes 104 arranged on two sides of the thin-walled layer 102 are respectively located
above the two electrode slots 103 and communication with the corresponding electrode
slots 103.
[0027] In the electronic cigarette, the airflow switch bracket is installed in the power
supply device. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the base 10 is of a rectangular
structure as a whole, and its two long sides are arc-shaped. The base 10 of this shape
is suitable for a flat (non-cylindrical) power supply device.
[0028] In addition, at least one convex ring 105 may be provided on an outer circumferential
surface of the base 10 to tightly fit an inner wall of a housing of the power supply
device or the bracket to thereby achieve fixing.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the airflow switch bracket of an electronic cigarette according
to a second embodiment of the invention includes a base 20. In the electronic cigarette,
a side of the base 20 facing a suction nozzle is defined as a top surface, and its
opposite side is defined as a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the base 20 is
provided with a groove 201 for accommodating and positioning the airflow switch.
[0030] The groove 201 extends from the bottom surface of the base 20 to the top surface
of the base 20, without penetrating the top surface of the base 20, so that a thin-walled
layer 202 sealed on the groove 201 is formed on the top surface of the base 20. Viewed
from the base 20, an opening of the groove 201 faces downward, and the thin-walled
layer 202 also constitutes a top end of the groove 201.
[0031] The thin-walled layer 202 can be integrally molded with the base 20 as an integral
structure. The thickness of the thin-walled layer 102 is smaller than that of other
parts of the base 20, and the thin-walled layer 102 can be as thin as being close
to or equal to the thickness of a thin film, so that the thin-walled layer can be
deformed and restored.
[0032] The thin-walled layer 202 may be 0.05 ± 0.02 mm thick.
[0033] In this embodiment, the outer circumference of the base 20 is circular, and the groove
201 and the thin-walled layer 202 are also circular, respectively. The base 20 of
this embodiment is suitable for a cylindrical power supply device.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of
the invention includes a power supply device 1 and an atomization device 2 connected
to each other, a suction nozzle 3 fitted on an end of the atomization device 2 away
from the power supply device 1. The electronic cigarette further includes a housing
4, the power supply device 1 and the atomizing device 2 are assembled in the housing
3, and the suction nozzle 3 is connected with the housing 4 by a peripheral edge of
its end.
[0035] The power supply device 1 includes a frame-shaped bracket 11, a battery 12 arranged
in the bracket 11, an airflow switch assembly 13, and a control assembly 14. The airflow
switch assembly 13 and the control assembly 14 are respectively located at opposite
ends of the battery 12 and are electrically connected to the battery 12. The airflow
switch assembly 13 is located at the end of the battery 12 facing the atomization
device 1 for connecting and conducting with the atomization device 1; the control
assembly 14 is located at the other end of the battery 12 away from the atomization
device 2 and at the bottom of the electronic cigarette.
[0036] The airflow switch assembly 13 includes an adapter board (PCBA board) 131, an airflow
switch 132, and an airflow switch bracket 133; the adapter board 131 is electrically
connected to the battery 12. The air switch bracket 133 here may be of the same structure
as the air switch bracket of the first embodiment or the second embodiment described
above.
[0037] In this embodiment, the airflow switch assembly 13 is described by taking the airflow
switch bracket of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as an example: the airflow
switch 132 is connected to the adapter board 131 and is accommodated in the groove
101 of the base 10 of the airflow switch bracket 133, the outer circumference of the
airflow switch 132 is in a sealing fit with the inner circumference of the groove
101.
[0038] The airflow switch assembly 13 further includes two electrodes 134 connected to the
adapter board 131, the two electrodes 134 penetrate into the electrode slots 102 of
the base 10, with their top ends going out of the electrode holes 104 in communication
with the electrode slots 103. The top ends of the electrodes 134 going out of the
electrode holes 104 are configured to be electrically connected with conductors 25
of the atomization device 2 to achieve conduction between the atomization device 2
and the power supply device 1. The electrodes 134 can be configured as elastic electrodes
134, which can maintain contact and electrical connection with the conductors 25.
[0039] The atomization device 2 can be connected to the power supply device 1 by means of
a buckle or magnetic attraction.
[0040] It is feasible to use the atomization device of the prior art as the atomization
device 2 here. For example, the atomization device 2 may include a shell 21, an air
duct 22 arranged in the shell 21, an atomizing seat 23 arranged at one end of the
shell 21, a heating component 24 arranged on the atomization seat 23, the conductors
25 and so on. The shell 21 is provided therein with a storage chamber 211 for storing
tobacco juice, the air duct 22 is inserted in the middle of the shell 21, and the
storage chamber 211 is located at the periphery of the air duct 22.
[0041] An air outlet is arranged at the other end of the shell 21 to communicate with an
internal channel of the air duct 22. An air inlet is arranged at a side of the shell
21 of the atomization device or at a junction between the atomization device 2 and
the power supply device 1. The air inlet extends through the housing 4 to the outside,
and communicates with the outside air. The air inlet, the internal channel of the
air duct 22, the air outlet and the suction nozzle 3 come into communication in sequence
to form an airflow channel. The airflow channel passes over the thin-walled layer
102 above the airflow switch bracket 133. When an air flow entering the atomization
device 2 through the air inlet passes over the thin-walled layer 102 of the airflow
switch assembly 13, the thin-walled layer 102 is deformed, and then a negative pressure
is generated in the airflow switch assembly 13 to control the on/off of the airflow
switch 132.
[0042] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, in the case of smoking with the electronic cigarette
of the invention, the airflow enters the airflow channel from the air inlet and passes
through the bottom of the atomization device 2 and the surface of the thin-walled
layer 102. As a result, the thin-walled layer 102 is deformed and a negative pressure
is generated to activate the airflow switch 132. The power supply device 1 supplies
power to the atomization device 2, and the heating component 24 is energized and generates
heat to atomize the tobacco juice into smoke. The smoke is sucked into the mouth of
a user from the suction nozzle along the airflow channel. When the user stops smoking,
there is no air flow across the surface of the thin-walled layer 102, the thin-walled
layer 102 returns to its original shape, the pressure of air between the thin-walled
layer 102 and the airflow switch 132 returns to its original level, the airflow switch
132 is turned off, and the power supply device 1 stops supplying power to the atomization
device 2.
[0043] The electronic cigarette of the present invention has no holes in the thin-walled
layer 102, so it can effectively prevent the condensate or liquid leakage generated
by the atomization device 2 during the working process from being conducted to the
airflow switch assembly 13, thereby avoiding contaminating the adapter board 131 or
the battery 12, and increasing the service life and safety performance of the electronic
cigarette.
[0044] The above description is set forth only as preferred embodiments of the invention
and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any equivalent structure
or equivalent process transformation, made based on the contents of the description
of the invention and the accompanying drawings and directly or indirectly used in
other related technical fields, is likewise included within the scope of the patent
protection of the invention.
1. An airflow switch bracket of an electronic cigarette, characterized by comprising a base, a bottom surface of the base being provided with a groove for
accommodating an airflow switch, the groove extending from the bottom surface of the
base toward a top surface of the base so that a thin-walled layer sealed on the groove
is formed on the top surface of the base;
the thin-walled layer being deformable when an air flow passes by, so that a negative
pressure is generated in a space between the groove and the airflow switch to control
the on/off of the airflow switch.
2. The airflow switch bracket according to Claim 1, characterized in that an outer circumference of the base is circular, and the groove and the thin-walled
layer are also circular, respectively.
3. The airflow switch bracket according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bottom surface of the base is further provided with two electrode slots located
on two sides of the groove and isolated from the groove, the top surface of the base
is provided with two electrode holes, the two electrode holes are located on two sides
of the thin-walled layer and in communication with the corresponding electrode slots
respectively.
4. The airflow switch bracket according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thin-walled layer has a thickness of 0.05 ± 0.02 mm.
5. The airflow switch bracket according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the groove comprises a first groove portion configured to accommodate the airflow
switch therein and a second groove portion configured to space the airflow switch
from the thin-walled layer, the first groove portion is in communication with the
second groove portion, the second groove portion is located between the first groove
portion and the thin-walled layer with an outer circumferential size of the second
groove portion being less than an outer circumferential size of the first groove portion.
6. An airflow switch assembly, characterized by comprising an adapter board, an airflow switch, and the airflow switch bracket according
to any of Claims 1 to 5, the airflow switch being connected to the adapter board and
accommodated in the groove in the base of the airflow switch bracket, an outer circumference
of the airflow switch being in a sealing fit with an inner circumference of the groove.
7. The airflow switch assembly according to Claim 6, characterized in that the airflow switch assembly further comprises two electrodes connected to the adapter
board, the two electrodes penetrating into the electrode slots of the base, with their
top ends going out of the electrode holes in communication with the electrode slots.
8. A power supply device of an electronic cigarette, characterized by comprising the airflow switch bracket according to any of Claims 1 to 5 or the airflow
switch assembly according to any of Claims 6 to 7.
9. An electronic cigarette, characterized by comprising a power supply device and an atomization device connected to each other,
and a suction nozzle fitted on an end of the atomization device away from the power
supply device, wherein the power supply device comprises the airflow switch assembly
according to any of Claims 6 to 7, and the electrodes of the airflow switch assembly
are electrically connected with conductors of the atomization device.
10. The electronic cigarette according to Claim 9, wherein an air inlet is arranged at
a side of the atomization device or at a junction between the atomization device and
the power supply device; the atomization device is provided therein with an airflow
channel communicating the air inlet and the suction nozzle; when an air flow entering
the atomization device through the air inlet passes over the thin-walled layer of
the airflow switch assembly, the thin-walled layer is deformed so that a negative
pressure is generated in the airflow switch assembly to control the on/off of the
airflow switch.