GB2502164A

GB2502164A - Electronic smoking device

Info

Publication number: GB2502164A
Application number: GB1218914.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Lord
Original assignee: Nicoventures Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2012-05-14
Filing date: 2012-05-14
Publication date: 2013-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2032-05-14
Also published as: GB2502164B; GB201218914D0

Abstract

An electronic smoking device comprising a battery assembly 8 and a vaporiser 24, where the battery assembly 8 comprises a power cell 10 and a computer 12, the vaporiser 24 is releasably-attachable to the battery assembly 8 and the computer 12 comprises a computer processor 16, a memory 18 and an input-output means 20; wherein when the vaporiser 24 is attached to the battery assembly 8, the computer 12 is configured in use to enter a sleep mode when the device is inactive for a predetermined inactive time; and where the battery assembly 8 further comprises a capacitor 38, wherein the computer 12 is configured in use to first charge the capacitor 38 and then detect whether a vaporiser 24 is connected to the battery assembly 8 by measuring whether the capacitor 38 is discharged.

Description

Electronic Smoking Device

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electronic smoking devices.

More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention concerns electronic cigarettes comprising a computer.

Background cf the Invention

It is well known that smoking tobacco is bad for your health and reduces your life expectancy. Smokers have an increased chance of developing lung cancer, suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and having heart attacks.

However, smokers can find it difficult to quit smoking because they are addicted to the nicotine found in tobacco. A number of smoking cessation techniques have been developed to help people quit, including the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NET) to introduce nicotine into the body in a form other than tobacco. NRT products include nicotine gums, nicotine patches and electronic smoking devices.

Electronic smoking devices are popular because they replicate the smoking habit. These devices are typically cigarette-sized and function by allowing a user to inhale a nicotine vapour from a liquid store by applying a suction force to a mouthpiece. Some electronic smoking devices have an airflow sensor that activates when a user applies the suction force and causes a beater coil to beat up and vaporise the liquid.

Electronic smoking devices include electronic cigarettes.

Summary of the Invention

An electronic smoking device comprising a battery assembly and a vaporiser, where the battery assembly comprises a power cell and a computer, the vaporiser is releasably-attachable to the battery assembly and the computer comprises a computer processor, a memory and an input-output means; wherein when the vaporiser is attached to the battery assembly, the computer is configured in use to enter a sleep mode when the device is inactive for a predetermined inactive time; where the battery assembly further comprises a capacitor; wherein the computer is configured in use to first charge the capacitor and then detect whether a vaporiser is connected to the battery assembly by measuring whether the capacitor is discharged.

Suitably, the electronic smoking device is an electronic cigarette.

Suitably, the computer processor is a microprocessor. Suitably, the computer is a microcontroller.

Using a microcontroller has space saving advantages since the entire computer is located on a single chip and therefore the size of the device is minimised. Fewer components to assemble also provides reduced manufacturing times are costs.

Suitably, the sleep mode is a low power mode. Suitably, the sleep mode is the lowest non-zero power mode of the device.

By remaining in a low power sleep mode the device remains active yet consumes very little power. This provides an efficient use of power and minimises energy wastage. The device has a further advantage that it can remain in a low power mode wtbout the addtona1 use of a switch to deactivate and activate.

Suitably, the electronic smoking device uses less power in sleep mode than in normal mode.

Advantageously, the normal mode is a higher power state once the vaporiser has been re-attached to enable a more rapid activation once the device is activated by a user.

Suitably, the electronic smoking device is inactive when not being used as a smoking device by a user.

Suitably, the battery assembly further comprises first and second battery assembly connection terminals, and the vaporiser comprises first and second vaporiser connection terminals, such that the vaporiser is connected to the battery assembly when the first battery assembly connection terminal is connected to the first vaporiser connection terminal and the second battery assembly connection terminal is connected to the second vaporiser connection terminal. Suitably, the capacitor is connected in parallel with the first and second battery assembly connection terminals.

Suitably, the computer is configured in use to send out a pulse and the capacitor is charged for a period of time egual to the width of the pulse. Suitably, the pulse is a sguare wave.

Suitably, the vaporiser comprises a heating element. Suitably, the heating element is a heauing coil. Suitably, the vaporiser further comprises a mesh wick.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanW ng of the nvent on, and to sow bow example embodiments may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of an electronic smoking device; Figure 2 is an exploded side perspective view of the electronic smoking device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side sectional view through the device of Figure Figure 4 is a side perspective view of an electronic smoking device with separated mouthpiece and cigarette body; Figure 5 is a side perspective view of an electronic smoking device with separated mouthpiece, vaporiser and battery assembly; Figure 6 is a side sectional view through the electronic smoking device of Figure 4 with connected mouthpiece and cigarette body; and Figure 7 is a side sectional view of a battery assembly having a capacitor.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 there is shown an electronic smoking device having a mouthpiece 2 and a cigarette body 4.

The electronic smoking device is shaped like a conventional cigarette and both the mouthpiece 2 and cigarette body 4 are cylindrical. The mouthpiece 2 is attachable to the cigarette body at a first end and has an air outlet 6 at a second end.

The cigarette body 2 is a battery assembly 8 and contains a power cell 10 connected to a computer 12 on a circuit board 14.

The computer 12 has a computer processor 16, a memory 18 and input-output means 20. Tn this example the computer 12 is a microcontroller.

The mouthpiece 2 contains a liguid bottle 22 and a vaporiser 24 hav ng a heater no 1 26. The mouthpiece 2 s attachable to the battery assembly 8 by a screw thread that connects a first battery assembly terminal 28 to a first vaporiser terminal 3D and a second battery assembly terminal 32 to a second vaporiser terminal 34.

In use the power cell 10 has charge and provides power to the computer 12. To maximise the lifetime of the charge in the power cell 10, when the vaporiser 24 is connected, the computer 12 is configured to detect when the device has been inactive for a predetermined inactive time such as 12 minutes. This inactive time is the time that has elapsed since use of the device by the user. After this inactive time, the computer is configured to enter a low power sleep mode. The computer 12 has a computer program stored in its memory 18 and accessed by its computer processor 16.

In order to return the device to a normal operational mode a user is required to disconnect the vaporiser 24 from the battery assembly 8 and reconnect the vaporiser 24 to the battery assembly 8. Ihe computer 12 is configured to detect when the vaporiser 24 has been first disconnected and then reconnected to the battery assenThly 8. Ihe computer 12 sends a pulse to the battery assembly terminals and determines if the vaporiser 24 is attached. If the vaporiser 24 is not attached the computer 12 remains in sleep mode for two seconds during which time no processing takes place and minimal power is consumer. After the sleep time, the computer 12 wakes and immediately and quickly checks again for a vaporiser connection. Again, if the vaporiser is not connected the computer 12 goes into sleep mode for another two seconds. The time that the computer 12 is awake is extremely short compared to the sleep time so the circuit remains predominantly in a low power mode, thus conserving power. During the sleep time no checks are made to determine whether the vaporiser 24 is attached however a user would take several seconds to assembly the devce so the vaporser 24 connection would he easily established by the computer 12 before use of the device by a user. If the vaporiser 24 is connected then the computer 12 remains awake in a normal mode.

Figures 4 to 6 show another example of an electronic smoking device. Ihis device is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3, however in this example the vaporiser 24 does not form part of the mouthpiece 2. The mouthpiece 2 contains a liquid bottle 22 and is attachable to the vaporiser 24. The vaporiser 24 has a heater coil 26 and additionally a wick 36. When the mouthpiece 2 is attached to the vaporiser 24 the wick 36 acts to communicate liquid from the liquid container 22 onto the vaporiser 24. To interaction between the vaporiser 24 and the battery assembly 8 to conserve power and require disconnection and reconnection is as described above.

An example of how the vaporiser 24 is detected by the computer 12 is now described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 shows a battery assembly 8 similar to that shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6, additionally comprising a capacitor 38. The capacitor 38 is arranged in a circuit such that it is in parallel to the battery assembly terminals. To test whether the vaporiser 24 is connected to the battery assembly 8, the computer first charges the capacitor 38, then waits a short time and checks the charge of the capacitor 38. If the vaporiser 24 is connected, the resistance of the vaporiser 24 causes the capacitor 38 to discharge quickly so the computer 12 measures a discharged capacitor 38. If the vaporiser 24 is not connected the capacitor is not fully discharged when checked by uhe computer 12.

Although examples have been shown and described it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The sleep time is not restricted to 2 seconds and other su table values could he used. A computer such as a microcontroller could utilise a watchdog timer to implement the sleep time wait in the low power mode. The device is not restricted to being cigarette shaped. The computer is not restricted being a microcontroller and could be fabricated from separate processor, memory and input-output components.

The vaporisers described are examples only.

Claims

Claims 1. An electronic smoking device comprising a battery assembly and a vaporiser, where the battery assembly comprises a power cell and a computer, the vaporiser is releasably-actachable to the battery assembly and the computer comprises a computer processor, a memory and an input-output means; wherein when the vaporiser is attached to the battery assembly, the computer is configured in use to enter a sleep mode when the device is inactive for a predetermined inactive time; where the battery assembly further comprises a capacitor; wherein the computer is configured in use to first charge the capacitor and then detect whether a vaporiser is connected to the battery assembly by measuring whether the capacitor is discharged.
2. The electronic smoking device of claim 1, wherein the electronic smoking device is an electronic cigarette.
3. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the computer processor is a microprocessor.
4. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the computer is a microcontroller.
5. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the sleep mode is a low power mode.
6. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wheren the sleep mode is tbe lowest non-zero power mode of the device.
7. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the electronic smoking device uses less power in sleep mode than in normal mode.
8. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the electronic smoking device is inactive when not being used as a smoking device by a user.
9. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the battery assembly further comprises first and second battery assembly connection terminals, and the vaporiser comprises first and second vaporiser connection terminals, such that the vaporiser is connected to the battery assembly when the first battery assembly connection terminal is connected to the first vaporiser connection terminal and the second battery assembly connection terminal is connected to the second vaporiser connection terminal.
10. The electronic smoking device of claim 9, wherein the capacitor is connected in parallel with the first and second battery assembly connection terminals.
11. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the computer is configured in use to send out a pulse and the capacitor is charged for a period of time equal to the width of the pulse.
]2. The electronic smoking device of claim II, wherein the pulse is a square wave.
]3. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the vaporiser comprises a heating element.30]4. The electronic smoking device of claim]3, wherein the heating element is a heating coil.15. The electronic smoking device of any preceding claim, wherein the vaporiser further comprises a mesh wick.