EP3510880A1

EP3510880A1 - Atomizing core and its manufacturing method, and an atomization generating device including said atomizing core

Info

Publication number: EP3510880A1
Application number: EP18185579.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jianwei Li
Original assignee: Shenzhen Innokin Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Innokin Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-01-13
Filing date: 2018-07-25
Publication date: 2019-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-07-25
Also published as: EP3510880B1

Abstract

The present invention provides mainly a self-regulating smart atomizing core and its manufacturing method, and an atomization generating device including said atomizing core. Said atomizing core comprises a main body being consisted of grains (11, 12, 13) and having a first surface and a second surface set oppositely, a heating and atomizing layer is set on the second surface, the main body having open apertures (111, 121, 131) connecting the first surface and the second surface for allowing a liquid to pass through, the sizes of said open apertures among the grains of said main body decrease from the first surface to the second surface in the thickness direction, the first surface is configured, when it is in contact with the liquid, to allow the liquid flows into the apertures among the grains of said main body, pass through these apertures toward the second surface. During the liquid flowing through the main body, because apertures among the grains of the main body decrease from the first surface to the second surface, the flow rate of the liquid toward the second surface gradually increases and the pressure also gradually increases, which allow the liquid to arrive finally at the second surface and to be atomized under high rate and high pressure. The present invention provides also an atomization generating device for electronic cigarette, said atomization generating device may be sheet-type and/or negative-pressure type.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette (E-cigarette), and in particular relates to a self-regulating smart atomizing core, a thermally-propelled, negative-pressure, and sheet-type atomization generating device including said atomizing core, and a disposable-cartridge atomization generating device including said atomizing core. The present invention further relates to a manufacturing method of the atomizing core.

Background Art

A commonly-used electronic cigarette mainly comprises an atomizer, a cartridge body, an electronic cigarette liquid (E-liquid) storage tank, a power supply, and a circuit board. The atomizer comprises a casing, a heating wire, E-liquid guiding cotton, as well as two wire posts respectively connected to the positive and negative poles of the power supply as equipped on the casing. The two ends of the heating wire are respectively fastened to the two wire posts and are connected to the power supply, the heating wire is wound around the E-liquid guiding cotton, and the two ends of the E-liquid guiding cotton is soaked in the E-liquid storage tank storing the E-liquid. When the electronic cigarette is being used, the power supply provides electric energy for the heating wire to be heated up, the E-liquid guiding cotton absorbs the E-liquid in the E-liquid storage tank, the heating wire then atomizes the absorbed E-liquid, so when the atomized E-liquid flows out of the cigarette holder on the cartridge body, it is inhaled and consumed by the user. However, the above-mentioned atomizer has the following defects: The structure is complicated, difficulties in controlling the resistance of the heating resistor during its operation thus causing the dry-burning of the heating wire. In addition, dry-burning of an E-liquid guiding material such as cotton may also produce harmful substances and shortens the service life of the E-cigarette.
There exist certain ceramic atomizers, in which the E-liquid guiding cotton is replaced by ceramic, that is to say, the atomizing core of the atomizer comprises a ceramic body and a heating wire buried in the ceramic body, and a part of said heating wire is exposed on the surface of the ceramic body (see Figure 1 and Figure 2). The heating wire (made of a resistance wire) of the ceramic atomizer is integrated with ceramic. However, the ceramic body in the prior art is made by molding ceramic and the resistance wire (heating wire) together and then roasting/sintering them. Given some constrains of the metallic material of the resistance wire i.e. its melting temperature at about 1000°C, the temperature for roasting/sintering the ceramic body is usually set at about 800°C to 900°C, thus the mineral material roasted/sintered at said temperature in a strict sense, is not ceramic, but pottery. In other words, in the prior art, after the roasting/sintering of the basic mineral material of the ceramic body, the internal grain structure does not take any change and grain recrystallization never happens. That is to say, the integration just simply consolidates the grain structure. Therefore, the ceramic body is not stable and may easily lose powders after repetitive usage during the high temperature, and when powders are inhaled in by the main body a user, and will bring about a potential hazard to the user.
In addition, when the heating wire heats up, it atomizes the E-liquid around it; as the sizes of internal grains and/or apertures are approximately the same, the E-liquid can then flow through the uniform apertures between internal grains in the ceramic body. If the power of the heating wire is higher, the required apertures should be larger, while ceramic body with large apertures may cause the E-liquid to more easily leak downward; but when the ceramic body with small apertures is used, another problem of dry-burning of the heating wire due to short supply of E-liquid may arise.
In addition, the structure of the above-mentioned atomizer is complicated. In particular, when said atomizer is damaged, for repairing, the heating wire needs to be removed from the wire posts, and such operation is inconvenient. Furthermore, since it is difficult to control the resistance of the heating wire, dry-burning of the heating wire may be easily caused. As a result, the taste to the atomized E-liquid will become less satisfying.

Summary of the Invention

The objective of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the atomizing core in the prior art, and in particular in the situations where the E-liquid guiding cotton is replaced by a ceramic atomizing core, the problems are raised such as E-liquid leakage and dry-burning due to relatively large apertures and relatively small apertures respectively. Since the structure of the ceramic atomizing core is not capable of being automatically adapted to a pressure difference and in order to improve the atomization efficiency, it is thus necessary to make the atomized E-liquid volatized out of the atomizing core at a maximum level. For this purpose, the present invention provides a self-regulating smart atomizing core, which can automatically regulate the pressure difference and can improve the atomization efficiency, and an atomization generating device including said atomizing core.
The atomizing core in the present invention comprises a main body, said main body consisting of grains and having a first surface and a second surface which are set oppositely, the thickness of the main body being the distance between the first surface and the second surface , the grains having open apertures or gaps connecting the first surface and the second surface in the thickness direction to allow a fluid to pass through, wherein the sizes of said open apertures or gaps-apertures among the grains of said main body decrease from the first surface to the second surface of said main body in the thickness direction, and a heating and atomizing layer, said heating and atomizing layer being configured on the second surface and being used to heat and atomize a liquid (for example, an E-liquid) flowing from the first surface into the main body.
Preferably, the grains of said main body are set by layer in the thickness direction between the first surface and the second surface, said main body comprises at least two grain layers, the apertures size of the apertures or gaps among the grains of said at least two grain layers are different, and the grain dimension may decrease from the first surface to the second surface of said main body in the thickness direction.
According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the main body comprises a first grain layer, a second grain layer, and a third grain layer which are sequentially distributed from the first surface to the second surface of said main body in the thickness direction, the size of apertures or gaps among the grains of said first grain layer is Q1, the size of apertures or gaps among apertures of the grains of said second grain layer is Q2, the size of apertures or gaps among apertures of the grains in said third grain layer is Q3, and the main body is configured such that the sizes of apertures or gaps among grains apertures of different grain layers satisfy the following relationship: Q1>Q2>Q3.
In addition, the heating and atomizing layer may comprise a heating and atomizing resistor, and may further comprise two electrode zones which are set on said second surface, said two electrode zones are respectively connected to the two ends of the heating and atomizing resistor, and a first casing and a second casing are respectively set on the two opposite sides of said main body and are electrically connected to the two electrode zones, respectively.
To further increase the rate of flow of the E-liquid entering the main body of the atomizing core, to improve the atomization efficiency, and to satisfy the requirement for high-flow-rate of atomization, said atomizing core further comprises a fluid preheating layer (preheating layer for short) set on said first surface for preheating the E-liquid. When the E-liquid is heated and expanded, it enters the main body from the first surface at a high flow rate, moves towards the second surface, and is then heated again and atomized on the second surface.
Said fluid preheating layer further comprises an E-liquid inlet and a preheating body having a preheating resistor. When the preheating body in said preheating layer works, said E-liquid inlet is closed so that the preheated liquid directly flows towards the second surface. When the preheating body in said preheating layer does not work, said E-liquid inlet is opened so that the liquid enters the preheating layer for the next working time.
To further improve the liquid-preheating speed and the flow rate of the liquid in the main body, a heating body can further be set on at least one grain layer. Said atomizing core having a preheating layer and/or a heating body on a grain layer is considered as an atomizing core which utilizes heat power to propel the fluid.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the main body is made of ceramic material and said main body can be in the shape of a sheet or of annular form. When said main body is of annular form, the first surface and the second surface are inner and outer annular surfaces set oppositely, and the thickness is in the radial direction of the annular form.
According to the present invention, the apertures size of the open apertures or gaps among the grains of the main body of the atomizing core is not homogeneous but decreases in the flowing direction of the fluid, namely, in the thickness direction from the first surface to the second surface of the main body.
Firstly, the sizes of the apertures or gaps allowing the fluid to pass decrease gradually in the flow direction. As a result, the flow rate and the pressure during the flowing of the fluid both gradually increase. This not only helps the E-liquid to penetrate from the first surface to the second surface, raising the flow rate of the fluid, but also prevents the fluid from flowing back, that is to say, to resist the atomized fluid and the fluid which is pushed by the atomized fluid tending to move downward from moving downward, thus greatly improving the volatilization efficiency of the atomized fluid.
Secondly, the design of the heating and atomizing resistor (printed resistor) is different from that of a traditional heating wire, the resistance of the printed resistor, namely, the amount of heat produced by the heating and atomizing layer, can be precisely controlled by setting up the dimensions (namely, length, width, and height) of said printed resistor, and thus the atomization efficiency of the E-liquid can be improved. The strip-shaped printed strips may facilitate the determination of resistance value, the forming, it is easy to manipulate, and for the atomized E-liquid to flow out upwardly.
Finally, the preheating layer and/or the heating body of a grain layer can heat the E-liquid so that it is the preheated E-liquid that then flows upward into the main body, which in turn further improves the flow rate and atomization efficiency of the E-liquid.
The atomizing core achieving the above-mentioned objectives in the present invention can also be considered as a self-regulating smart atomizing core, and the atomizing core equipped with a preheating layer and/or a heating body of a grain layer is considered as an atomizing core which utilizes heat power to propel the fluid. They are generally referred as "atomizing core" in the present invention.
In addition, a further objective of the present invention is to overcome the defects found in atomizers of prior art, which sometimes have complicated structure and involve inconvenient operations. The present invention is aimed at providing a simply structured, quickly-heated, and anti- dry-burning atomization generating device.
To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the atomization generating device in the present invention comprises an E-liquid storage tank, an atomizer comprising the atomizing core of the present invention with the upper surface of said atomizer being slotted downward with an accommodating groove, and a supporting element which is accommodated in said accommodating groove. Said supporting element cooperates with said atomizer to support said atomizing core so that when the main body of the atomizing core is configured on said supporting element, one end of the heating and atomizing resistor is in contact with said supporting element and the other end of the heating and atomizing resistor is in contact with said atomizer. An insulating element is placed between said supporting element and said atomizer.
Preferably, the side wall of said accommodating groove is configured with a step groove in a concave manner, said supporting element comprises a support body and a projection part extending upward from the top part of said support body, the projection part has a recessed groove, said recessed groove and said step groove are set oppositely, the bottom of said recessed groove and the bottom of said step groove are at the same height, the first casing and the second casing set on the external surface of the main body of the atomizing core are metal casings, said first metal casing is configured in said step groove, and said second metal casing is configured in said recessed groove.
The atomization generating device in the present invention further comprises a fastener which is set above the upper surface of said atomizer, and said atomizing core is located between said fastener and said atomizer. The side wall of the E-liquid storage tank is provided with an E-liquid outlet, said atomizer is set on the lateral side of said E-liquid storage tank and is equipped with an E-liquid guiding hole, one end of said E-liquid guiding hole is connected to the accommodating groove of the atomizer, and the other end is connected to the E-liquid outlet of the E-liquid storage tank.
A sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is further provided, which comprises the atomization generating device of the present invention, and further comprises a base on which the atomizer of said atomization generating device is set, an outer casing and an inner casing, and an upper cover which is set above said outer casing and inner casing. Said atomizer is fastened to said base and said inner casing is fastened to said atomizer. The E-liquid storage tank of said atomization generation device consists of said outer casing, the base, the inner casing, and the upper cover.
In a preferred embodiment, said sheet-type vapor atomization generation device further comprises a fastener which is set above the upper surface of said atomizer and said atomizing core is located between said fastener and said atomizer. An guiding hole for guiding E-liquid is provided at the bottom of said atomizer, one end of said guiding hole guiding E-liquid is connected to the accommodating groove of the atomizer, and the other end is connected to the E-liquid storage tank. A screw hole is provided in said supporting element, an electrode is set in said base, said electrode can be screwed in said screw hole, said base and said supporting element are fastened through the electrode, and an insulation pad is set between said electrode and said base.
A negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is further provided, which comprises said atomization generating device and an E-liquid guiding pipe, and said E-liquid guiding pipe has an E-liquid inlet and an E-liquid outlet. The E-liquid storage tank of said atomization generating device has a pore, said pore is connected to the ambient environment, the E-liquid inlet of said E-liquid guiding pipe is set at the bottom of said E-liquid storage tank, and the E-liquid outlet of said E-liquid guiding pipe is set on the upper surface of the support body and is located outside said E-liquid storage tank.
The negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention further comprises a fastener which is set above the upper surface of said atomizer, and a cartridge body covering said atomizing core. Said atomizing core is located between said fastener and said atomizer. said cartridge body is provided with at least one air-regulating hole on the side wall of said cartridge body, and said air-regulating hole corresponding to said atomizer.
The disposable-cartridge atomization generating device of the present invention comprises a casing in which an E-liquid storage tank and an air passage are set, a seat body which is set at the bottom of said casing, and the above-mentioned atomizing core which is set in said seat body. The atomizing core comprises a first metal casing and a second metal casing set on said seat body, and the first surface and the second surface of the main body are connected to the E-liquid storage tank and the air passage respectively.
Preferably, said seat body comprises a rubber sleeve, a base, a first support, and a second support. Said base is set at the bottom of said rubber sleeve, said rubber sleeve is mounted at the bottom of said casing, said second support is mounted on said rubber sleeve, said first support is mounted on said second support, said atomizing core is mounted on said first support, the second support has a recessed groove, the side wall of the recessed groove is provided with an E-liquid hole thereon, said E-liquid hole is located on said E-liquid storage tank, and the first surface of said main body and said E-liquid hole are set oppositely.
The present invention further provides a manufacturing method for said atomizing core and the manufacturing method can comprise:

placing ceramic grain layers: provide at least two ceramic grain layers and place said at least two ceramic grain layers in a descending order of the size of apertures or gaps among the grains in respective grain layers, wherein at least said two ceramic grain layers have a predetermined thickness after being placed, the external surfaces perpendicular to the thickness direction respectively form the first surface and the second surface of the main body, wherein the size of the apertures or gaps among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the first surface is greater than that of the apertures or gaps among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the second surface;
sintering and recrystallizing through high-temperature: sintering the placed ceramic grain layers at a first temperature, so that the grains of the ceramic grain layers recrystallize and the at least two ceramic grain layers are fixed together, and then cooling them down;
placing a heating and atomizing resistor: place the heating and atomizing resistor onto the second surface of the main body;
sintering and fixing through high-temperature: sintering the ceramic main body obtained in previous step including the heating and atomizing resistor at a second temperature lower than the first temperature in an oxygen-free environment, so that the ceramic main body and the heating and atomizing resistor are fixed together, and then cooling them down.

Said manufacturing method further comprises placing a preheating resistor onto the first surface and then sintering it at a second temperature, which is lower than the melting temperature for material used for the preheating resistor, in an oxygen-free environment
In the present invention, said size of apertures or gaps among grains can be understood as an apertures or gaps value, which is the maximum one-dimensional value of apertures/gap between the adjacent grains being substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of a fluid, or it can be an apertures area, which is the maximum two-dimensional apertures area of apertures or gaps between adjacent grains substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of a fluid, or porosity, which is the three-dimensional volume ratio of apertures or gaps between grains in a unit volume. The size of the open apertures or gaps among grains gradually decrease in the liquid flowing direction (from the first surface to the second surface of the main body in the thickness direction of the same), satisfying the variation rule of the open apertures or gaps under the same definition standard apertures, namely one, two of three-dimensional size as defined above.
In addition, in the present invention, grains generally refer to solid particles or particulates formed after sintering and recrystallizing an entity (mineral substance) of a mineral material or any other material, and they can have regular or irregular geometries. The grain structure in the present invention generally refers to a porous (basically a regular pore form) or polycrystal (basically a regular crystal form) material, after sintering and recrystallizing a mineral or any other entity (mineral material), such a structure has gradually-changing open apertures or gaps connecting two opposite surfaces. The specific forms of particles or particulates between apertures or gaps should not restrict the protection scope of the present invention and should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

To describe the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solution in the prior art more clearly, the following will briefly describe the drawings required in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. Without any creative work, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings on the basis of these drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for a ceramic atomizer of the prior art.
Figure 2 shows the structure of grains in the ceramic atomizer of the prior art.
Figure 3 shows the structure of recrystallized grains in the atomizing core of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of the atomizing core in a first embodiment of the present invention in the thickness direction.
Figure 5 is a 3D view of the sheet-type atomizing core with the casing removed in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an exploded 3D view of the sheet-type atomizing core shown in Figure 5 and the casing.
Figure 7 is a front view of the sheet-type atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of the sheet-type atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is an enlarged partial view of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view in the thickness direction of the main body of the annular-form atomizing core in another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 and Figure 12 respectively show the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the atomization generating device including a preheating layer, also showing the structures of the sheet-type atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13, Figure 14, and Figure 15 respectively show the first, second, and third structures of the atomization generating device having a heating body of a grain layer of the main body and utilizing heat power to propel a fluid.
Figure 16 is an exploded 3D view of the atomization generating device of the present invention, with the atomizing core of the present invention not yet mounted in the atomizer.
Figure 17 shows the overall structure of the atomization generating device of the present invention.
Figure 18 is an enlarged partial view of Figure 17 and shows one design of an E-liquid guiding hole.
Figure 19 shows the overall structure of the atomization generating device including another design of E-liquid guiding hole according to the present invention.
Figure 20 is an exploded 3D view of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention, with the atomizing core already mounted in the atomizer.
Figure 21 is an exploded 3D view of the vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 22 and Figure 23 are overall cutaway views from different perspectives of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 24 is an exploded 3D view of the upper cover of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 25 is a cutaway view of the upper cover of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 26 is a cutaway view of the upper cover of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention in a service state.
Figure 27 is an overall 3D view of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 28 is an exploded 3D view of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 29 is an overall cutaway view of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device of the present invention.
Figure 30 is a 3D view of the disposable-cartridge atomization generating device of the present invention.
Figure 31 is an exploded 3D view of the disposable-cartridge atomization generating device of the present invention.
Figure 32 is an overall cutaway view of the disposable-cartridge atomization generating device of the present invention.
Figure 33 is an overall cutaway view of the disposable-cartridge atomization generating device of the present invention from another perspective.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The following will combine the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively show schematically the ceramic atomizer and internal grains in the ceramic atomizer of the prior art.
The atomizing core 1' of the prior art in Figure 1 and Figure 2 comprises a ceramic body 2' and a heating wire 3'. One part of the heating wire is buried in the ceramic body, and the other part is exposed outside the ceramic body. The heating wire and the ceramic are formed integrally, since the heating wire will be melted at a above 1000°C, the temperature for roasting/sintering the ceramic body of prior art is usually set at about 800°C to 900°C, thus the mineral material roasted/sintered at said temperature in a strict sense, is not ceramic, but pottery. In other words, in the prior art, after the roasting/sintering of the basic mineral material of the ceramic body, the internal grain structure does not take any change and grain recrystallization never happens. Therefore, in the prior art, there is no any change in the internal grain structure of the ceramic body of the atomizing core shown in Figure 2, that is to say, the integral formation only simply consolidates the grain structure.
Figure 3 shows the internal structure of grains of the main body of the atomizing core 3 of the present invention.
The fundamental function of the main body of the atomizing core for an electronic cigarette is to guide the E-liquid and also to provide a working substrate for atomization. Therefore, the main body of the atomizing core needs to satisfy the following common properties: high-temperature resistance (a working temperature from a room temperature to 350°C, an extreme temperature of 600°C or so in a dry-burning state); E-liquid guiding (with certain gap); E-liquid sealing (during working, the main body can hold the E-liquid by use of the surface tension of the E-liquid to prevent the E-liquid from flowing into the air passage); no harmful substance to human beings (especially at a high temperature), including oxides or heavy metals, is be produced during working. In addition, the material of the main body must not produce any odor during working, and no powder should fall off after heating.
Generally speaking, the materials of main body satisfying the above-mentioned conditions may consist of mineral materials, usually, a ceramic material. There are many raw materials which can be made into ceramic. Besides Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃), Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and Silicon carbide (SiC), ect., can all be made into a ceramic substrate satisfying most of the above-mentioned common properties, but with various product costs. Preferably, the ceramic material is made of Al₂O₃, and embodiments described below are normally based on ceramic materials made principally of Al₂O₃.
Advantageously, the grain structure of the main body of the atomizing core of the present invention is different from the grain structure of the ceramic body of the atomizing core of the prior art. After sintering at a first temperature, depending on recrystallization temperature of the material used, for example at 1200°C or higher, which is the recrystallization temperature for the ceramic materials made principally of Al₂O₃, the grains of the main body of the atomizing core of the present invention undergo recrystallization and are integrated together. In other words, no matter which type of the material before sintering, for example, the ceramic material is porous or polycrystal, the ceramic main body obtained always contains a recrystallized ceramic grain structure. In addition, the apertures or gaps between grains of the main body of the atomizing core of the present invention, notably in the thickness direction, are no longer uniform as in the prior art. The following will provide a detailed description in combination with Figure 7 to Figure 9.
Referring to Figure 4, which is a side view of the atomizing core in a first embodiment of the present invention. The atomizing core 3 comprises a main body 1 and a heating and atomizing layer 2. The main body 1 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 which are set oppositely, and the distance between the first surface 101 and the second surface 102 forms the thickness of the main body. In Figure 4, the lower surface is the first surface, and the upper surface is the second surface. The heating and atomizing layer 2 is set on the second surface 102, namely, the upper surface of the main body 1. The atomizing core in the first embodiment is a sheet-type or flat-plate type atomizing core.
The heating and atomizing layer 2 consists of a heating resistance material which should satisfy conditions such as high temperature resistance (so that it will not be fused in a working environment (within a temperature of 350°C) or in the case of a transient high temperature (dry-burning)), electric conduction, controllable resistance and higher error precision (for example, 0.1 ohm), and no harmful substance to human beings (especially at a high temperature), including oxides or heavy metals, is be decomposed when the atomizing core works. The metals which can be used as a resistor are mostly precious metals, for example, platinum family elements, gold, silver, and their alloys.
According to the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 4 to Figure 6, the heating and atomizing layer 2 consists of a heating and atomizing resistor 20, usually a printed resistor. A printed resistor has cost and production advantages, that is to say, the mechanized mass production can be realized in molding and printing and the cost is low. The sheet-type atomizing core shown in Figure 4 to Figure 6 is usually flat printed, and a planar ceramic substrate can be made into a plurality of bodies of finished sheet-type atomizing cores with a ceramic grain structure by use of a die blank. The annular-form atomizing core in other embodiments can be printed by use of a single cylinder. For example, a barreled ceramic substrate is molded into the main body of an annular form atomizing core.
Said printed resistor can comprises a plurality of printed strips. The strip-shaped printed resistors facilitate resistance control, forming, and upward flowing of the atomized E-liquid. In preferred embodiments, said printed resistor 20 is made of silver or palladium, or the mixture of silver and platinum. Preferably, said printed resistor can be sintered at a second temperature, which is lower than the melting temperature of the resistance material used for the resistors, on the ceramic body after silk screen printing. The temperature for sintering the resistors and/or resistance materials on the main body is obviously much lower than the first temperature of sintering and recrystallizing, which depends on the recrystallization temperature of material used for the main body as already explained above.
Those skilled in the art should understand that when the resistor 20 of the heating and atomizing layer 2 heats up, the fluid 140, for example, E-liquid for electronic cigarette, flows from the first surface 101 (upstream) into the main body 1 (midstream), then flows toward the second surface 102 (downstream), and is heated and atomized by the resistor 20 of the heating and atomizing layer 2 on the second surface.
Figure 5 and Figure 6 are 3D views of the atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the atomizing core in Figure 6 is mounted with the casing. In the present embodiment, the atomizing core 3 is in the shape of a sheet or flat plate. The flat-plate atomizing core facilitates of the printing of the heating wire. In addition, the molding and sintering of the flat-plate ceramic is simple and facilitate mechanized operations, and the cost is low. Besides, in the shape of the quadrangle shown in the figures, the atomizing core can be in the shape of a triangle, pentagon, polygon, and ellipse. As shown in Figure 6, a first casing 5 and a second casing 6 are set on the two sides of the main body 1, respectively. The first casing 5 and the second casing 6 cover the main body 1.
Referring to Figure 7, which is a front view of the atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention. Two electrode zones 14 and 15 are further set on the second surface, namely, upper surface of the atomizing core, and the two electrode zones are connected to the two ends of the heating and atomizing resistor 20, respectively. In addition, although not shown in Figure 7, the two electrode zones can further be electrically connected to the first casing 5 and the second casing 6, respectively. The two electrode zones are respectively connected to the positive and negative poles of the power supply so that the power supply can conveniently be connected to the heating and atomizing resistor 20 through the electrode zones, allowing the heating and atomizing resistor to heat and atomize the E-liquid flowing from the first surface through the main body to the second surface.
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the atomizing core in the first embodiment of the present invention in the thickness direction and shows the grain structures of ceramic grains 11, 12, and 13, and especially the changes of grain dimensions and apertures values, which are sizes of the apertures or gaps 111, 121, and 131, in the ceramic main body 1 of the atomizing core 3 in the first embodiment of the present invention in the direction from the first surface to the second surface, namely, in the direction of the thickness of the main body. The apertures or gaps between grains connect the first and second surfaces in the direction of the thickness of the main body to become gas-opening apertures or gaps to allow the fluid to pass.
Those skilled in the art can understand that the grain structures and grain sizes in Figure 8, Figure 9, which is enlarged partial detail view of Figure 8, Figure 11, and Figure 12 are all their cross-sectional views showing grain structures and grain sizes, and do not completely correspond to the grain structures and grain sizes in real products.
For example, the grain boundary (after sintering and recrystallizing) can be different from what is shown, that is to say, the grain boundary can be in an irregular circle shape and/or irregular shape. For example, in the layered grain structures, the really formed grain layers may be irregular curve, but not a straight line as shown in the figures. For example, in the embodiment where the change of apertures or gaps from the first surface to the second surface is realized through the layered structures, the grain shapes and grain sizes are basically the same at the same layer, but the grain shapes and grain sizes may be different after recrystallization. In the embodiment where the change of apertures or gaps from the first surface to the second surface is realized through non-layered structures, the figures only show the change tendency of the apertures or gaps, but do not restrict the specific grain distribution rules. For example, even if the grain sizes in the layered grain structures are basically the same, the cross-hatching lines do not completely overlap the grain diameters, and thus the grain boundaries at the same layer are significantly different, that is to say, the grain distribution positions and the cross-section sizes shown in the cross-sectional views are different from the grain distribution and cross-section sizes in the cross-sections of real products. It should be understood that the above-mentioned views are only used to help to understand the concept of the present invention, but not to restrict the protection scope of the present invention.
See Figure 9, which is an enlarged view of the structures of grains 11, 12, and 13 in the main body 1. Figure 9 shows that the apertures or gaps between grains in the main body 1 gradually decrease from the first surface 101 to the second surface 102, and that the sizes of the grains 11, 12, and 13 in said main body 1 also gradually decrease from the first surface 101 to the second surface 102.
In a preferred embodiment, the main body 1 can comprise at least two grain layers and each grain layer consists of grains which have the same apertures or gap and/or grain size. The thickness between the two ceramic layers is the thickness of the main body of the atomizing core. The opposite external surfaces of the two ceramic layers in the thickness direction form the first and second surfaces of the main body of the atomizing core. As shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9, the main body of the atomizing core comprises the grain layers 110, 120, and 130, which are superimposed in sequence from the bottom up.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 10 where the cross-section of the main body is annular, the main body of the atomizing core is roughly in the shape of a ring, the two grain layers are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside or from the outside to the inside, and the two grain layers in the thickness direction, namely, the inner and outer annular surfaces which are set oppositely in radial direction of the ring form the first and second surfaces of the main body of the atomizing core. The annular-form atomizing core can be printed by use of a single cylinder. For example, a barreled ceramic substrate is molded into the main body of the annular-form atomizing core.
Regardless of the shape of the main body and the number of grain layers in the main body, the apertures or gaps between grains in the main body gradually decrease from the first surface to the second surface, and preferably, the sizes of grains in the grain layers of said main body also gradually decrease from the first surface to the second surface.
The main body 1 of the atomizing core in the embodiment shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 comprises at least two ceramic grain layers (which are called ceramic layers for short): a first ceramic layer 110 and a second ceramic layer 120, wherein said first ceramic layer 110 is located below said second ceramic layer 120, the gas-opening apertures or gaps between grains 11 in said first ceramic layer 110 are marked with 111, and the size of the apertures or gaps among grains of the first ceramic layer 110 is marked with Q1; the gas-opening apertures or gaps between grains 12 of said second ceramic layer 120 is marked with 121, and the size of the aperture or gaps is marked with Q2. Of course, the function of gas-opening apertures or gaps is to allow the E-liquid to pass. The first ceramic layer and the second ceramic layer are so configured that the condition Q1>Q2 is satisfied, that is to say, the amount of the E-liquid passing the first ceramic layer is greater than the amount of the E-liquid passing the second ceramic layer in a unit area in a unit time. Said main body 1 can further comprise a third ceramic layer 130. The third ceramic layer 130 is located above the second ceramic layer 120, the gas-opening apertures or gaps between the grains 13 of said third ceramic layer 130 is marked with 131, and the size of the apertures or gaps is marked with Q3. The three ceramic layers are so configured that the condition Q1>Q2>Q3 is satisfied, that is to say, the amount of the E-liquid passing the first ceramic layer is greater than the amount of the E-liquid passing the second ceramic layer, and the amount of the E-liquid passing the second ceramic layer is greater than the amount of the E-liquid passing the third ceramic layer in a unit area in a unit time. The gas-opening apertures or gaps of the ceramic layer containing the first surface of the main body is maximum and the amount of the E-liquid passing in a unit area in a unit time is maximum; the gas-opening apertures or gaps of the ceramic layer containing the second surface of the main body is minimum and the amount of the E-liquid passing in a unit area in a unit time is minimum. Those skilled in the art should understand that the main body can be designed into two grain layers, three grain layers, or even four grain layers, five grain layers, or more grain layers. In the present embodiment, three grain layers are exemplified, and the previous descriptions of the main body, the heating and atomizing layer, the casing, and the electrode are all applicable to the case where the main body comprises at least two grain layers.
Those skilled in the art can understand that they can manufacture the atomizing core 3 by reference to the following steps:
Provide at least two ceramic grain layers and place said at least two ceramic grain layers in a descending order of size of apertures or gaps among the grains in respective grain layers, wherein said at least two ceramic grain layers have a predetermined thickness after being placed, the external surfaces perpendicular to the thickness direction respectively form the first surface 101 and the second surface 102 of the main body, the size of apertures or gaps among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the first surface 101 is greater than the apertures or gaps among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the second surface 102.
Sinter the placed ceramic grain layers at a first temperature, meaning at the recrystallization temperature of material used for the grain layers or higher, so that the grains in the at least two ceramic grain layers recrystallize and said at least two ceramic grain layers are fixed together, and then cool them down.
Place the heating and atomizing resistor 20 on the second surface 102 of the main body.
Sinter the obtained ceramic main body 1 including the heating and atomizing resistor 20 at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, also meaning below the melting temperature of material used for the resistor, in an oxygen-free environment, so that the ceramic main body 1 and the heating and atomizing resistor 20 are fixed together, and then cool them down.
In a preferred embodiment, the heating and atomizing printed resistor 20 can be sintered on the ceramic main body 1 after silk-screening.
Particularly, those skilled in the art can understand that since grain recrystallization happens in the case of high-temperature sintering and recrystallizing, grains will be integrated, and the grain sizes will be changed. To achieve the objective of the present invention, the gas-opening apertures or gaps between grains need to gradually decrease in the flow direction of the fluid.
The variation of the gas-opening apertures or gaps in the thickness direction can be realized by at least two grain layers containing grains in different sizes, namely, by placing at least two grain layers containing grains in different sizes by layer in the thickness direction and then sintering them together. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the realization of the variation of the apertures or gaps is not limited the specific implementation mode such as layered placement of grain layers.
Preferably, double sintering is adopted in the present invention. That is to say, ceramic satisfying the ceramic structure required in the present invention is firstly sintered, and then a resistance material is secondly sintered together with the ceramic according to the required resistance. Since ceramic sintering and recrystallizing requires a high temperature, for example about 1200°C for ceramic materials made principally of Al₂O₃, at which metals will be melted or highly oxidized, double sintering is adopted. In consideration of the properties of metals, during the sintering for fixing the resistors/resistances on the main body, the temperature is controlled within the melting temperature of the metals used for the resistors/resistances, which is much lower than the recrystallizing temperature of the ceramic materials used for the main body, for example of the 1200°C for ceramic materials made principally of Al₂O₃, during this second sintering. In this way, the properties of the original ceramic substrate will not be damaged, nor will metal oxidization be caused.
Figure 11 and Figure 12 depict the structures of two embodiments containing a fluid preheating layer 30. Preferably, the fluid preheating layer 30 is set on the first surface, namely, in the upstream direction of the fluid.
Those skilled in the art can understand that the heating and atomizing layer 2 set on the second surface 102 of the main body, the destination to which the fluid 140 flows, can atomize the E-liquid 140 which reaches the second surface 102 through the capillary action of apertures or gaps between grains and the action of the negative pressure generally produced by smoking (inhaling).
In the prior art, the atomized E-liquid in the ceramic body will squeeze the E-liquid absorbed in the ceramic body outward for the reason of expansion. As a result, not only the E-liquid absorbed in the ceramic body will overflow outward to influence the flow rate of the fluid toward the second surface, but also the atomized E-liquid cannot completely be volatilized and the atomized E-liquid can be volatilized only by means of the heating wire outside the ceramic body. Thus, the atomization efficiency is low, the volatilization efficiency of the E-liquid is also low, and the taste of the user and the next-time E-liquid atomization efficiency are heavily influenced.
To speed up the flow rate of the fluid, increase the amount of atomized E-liquid, and improve the atomization efficiency, preferably, the E-liquid 140 can be preheated in the upstream flow direction of the fluid. The preheated fluid enters the main body and flows from the main body to the second surface faster. Thus, the amounts of the E-liquid supplied and atomized in a unit time can be increased to satisfy different use habits, for example, a larger amount of atomized E-liquid and a higher atomization efficiency in the case of smoking by lung.
In the first embodiment of the preheating device shown in Figure 11, the atomizing core 3 has a fluid preheating layer 30 which is set on the first surface 101 (the lower surface in the figure) of the main body 1, and said fluid preheating layer 30 can be used together with liquid supply equipment (not shown in the figure). A preheating resistor 4 is set in the fluid preheating layer 30, and said preheating resistor 4 can directly be set on the first surface 101 (the lower surface in the figure) of the main body 1 and can be sintered on the first surface of said main body 1 at a high temperature after silk screen printing.
When the atomizing core is used, the liquid is led to the preheating layer adjacent to the first surface of the main body and is preheated by the preheating resistor. By heating the liquid adjacent the preheating layer, said liquid is heated and expanded, the heated liquid moves upward, enters said main body 1, and flows upward along the apertures or gaps among grains in said main body 1. Since the porosity in said main body 1 decreases progressively from the bottom up, that is to say, the apertures or gaps among grains in said main body 1 decrease progressively from the bottom up, the flow rate gradually increases and the pressure also gradually increases during the upward movement of the liquid. Finally, the liquid is sent to the upper surface of said main body 1 and is heated and atomized by the heating and atomizing resistor 20. The atomized E-liquid on the two sides of the heating and atomizing resistor 20 is directly volatilized from the upper surface of said main body 1. Since the flow rate and the pressure are both high, the atomized E-liquid below the heating and atomizing resistor 20 continues to move upward or move upward aslant to help the atomized E-liquid to be volatilized from the main body 1. In addition, the continuous, high-speed upward movement of the E-liquid below can prevent the atomized E-liquid from moving downward, improve the volatilization efficiency of the E-liquid, and improve the taste. Through thermal propulsion at the preheating layer, the amount of the E-liquid flowing into the atomizing layer in a unit time is increased and thus the amount of atomized E-liquid is increased. An open preheating zone is formed near the preheating layer of the main body. The design of said open preheating layer can effectively reduce the production and maintenance cost and satisfy the requirement for a large amount of atomized E-liquid.
Compared with the first embodiment shown in Figure 11, the fluid preheating layer 30 in the second embodiment shown in Figure 12 is semi-closed, that is to say, the periphery of the first surface of the main body is enclosed to form a semi-closed fluid preheating layer 30, also known as control chamber, and is connected to the liquid supply equipment through the E-liquid inlet which can be opened or closed. Said semi-closed fluid preheating layer can precisely control the amount of preheated E-liquid, improve the atomization efficiency of the E-liquid, and provide a continuous and even amount of atomized E-liquid to improve the experience of the user.
Preferably, a preheating body 32 and an E-liquid inlet 33 are set on the fluid preheating layer 30 of the second embodiment of the preheating device shown in Figure 12. When the preheating body 32 in said preheating layer 30 works, said E-liquid inlet 33 is closed to keep a certain amount of liquid in the preheating layer so that the certain amount of liquid further flows toward the second surface with the aid of thermal propulsion after being heated. When the preheating body 32 in said preheating layer 30 does not work, said E-liquid inlet is opened so that the liquid to be heated enters the semi-closed preheating layer 30 for a next repetitive work period of preheating and atomization. The preheating body 32 is usually a preheating resistor.
Preferably, a liquid feed trough 31 is set in said fluid preheating layer 30 and is used to evenly lead the liquid supplied at the E-liquid inlet 33 to the fluid preheating layer 30 for preheating, and the preheating body 32 is set in said liquid feed trough 31 to heat the liquid in the liquid feed trough 31. The side wall of said liquid feed trough 31 is connected to the lower surface of said main body 1. An automatic valve 34 can be set at said E-liquid inlet 33 to control the amount of the liquid flowing from the liquid supply equipment to the preheating layer. When the heating and atomizing resistor (usually a printed resistor) 20 is connected to the power supply to work, the automatic valve 34 is closed and the preheating body 32 heats the liquid in the liquid feed trough 31 in the preheating layer; when the heating and atomizing resistor 20 does not work, the automatic valve 34 is opened to allow the liquid to enter the preheating layer, and neither the preheating body 32 nor the heating and atomizing resistor 20 works at this time. The heating and atomizing resistor 20, the automatic valve 34, and the preheating body 32 can be controlled through a printed circuit board, a chip, or an integrated circuit (IC). In addition, they can be set on the first surface of the main body, as shown in Figure 11.
Said preheating body 32 can be set, as illustrated by the preheating resistor 4 in Figure 11, on the first surface of the main body. To guarantee the liquid contact area on the first surface of the main body, increase the preheated area, and enhance the flow of the fluid to the second surface with the aid of heat power, preferably, said preheating body 32 can be set at the bottom of the liquid feed trough 31, as shown in Figure 12.
In the first embodiment in Figure 11, the preheating resistor 4 which is set on the first surface of the main body 1 can be sintered on the first surface of said main body 1 at a high temperature after silk screen printing.
Corresponding to the above-mentioned design of the atomizing core 3 including the fluid preheating layer 30, the method for making the atomizing core 3 can further comprise the following step: place the preheating resistor 4 or the preheating body 32 on the first surface 101. The purpose of the design of the second high-temperature sintering step in an oxygen-free environment is to place a printed resistor on the second surface of said main body, place a preheating resistor or preheating body on the first surface, and then sinter them together at a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment.
Further, silk screen print a preheating resistor on the lower surface of the bottom ceramic layer, and then sinter it at a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment. The purpose of such a design is to firstly place a printed heating and atomizing resistor on the second surface of a ceramic layer, sinter the heating and atomizing resistor at a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment, cool the printed heating and atomizing resistor, place a preheating resistor on the first surface of the ceramic layer, and sinter the preheating resistor at a high temperature in an oxygen-free environment, and cool them down.
The determination of temperatures under which these sintering steps are performed is the same as that explained above, and will be not described here again.
To improve the flow rate and atomization efficiency of the fluid, still preferably, a heating body can be set at least at one grain layer. As shown in Figure 13 to Figure 15, preferably, a heating body 112, 122, or 132 can correspondingly be set in the upstream direction of the fluid at each grain layer 110, 120, or 130 to replace or cooperate with the fluid preheating layer 30 to realize the enhanced preheating and atomization effect.
For example, in the design of the main body comprising two ceramic grain layers, said preheating body is located at the bottom of the first ceramic layer 110 and can also be called a first heating body 112. A second heating body 122 can be set at the bottom of said second ceramic layer 120. In this case, the liquid or E-liquid at the preheating layer 30 is heated by the preheating body at the bottom of the first ceramic layer 110, namely, the first heating body 112, the liquid is heated to expand and move upward to enter the first ceramic layer 110. When the liquid reaches the top of the first ceramic layer 110, the second heating body 122 at the top of the first ceramic layer 110, namely, at the bottom of the second ceramic layer 120 simultaneously heats this part of liquid, and the liquid goes from the apertures or gaps between the grains of the first ceramic layer 110 into the apertures or gaps between the grains of the second ceramic layer 120. Since Q1>Q2, the flow rate of the liquid increases, and the pressure the fluid suffers also increases. At the bottom of the second ceramic layer 120, a continuous thermal propulsion energy is provided for this part of liquid, and this part of liquid continues to go up and move upward to enter the top of the second ceramic layer 120, is heated and atomized by the silk-screened resistor 20 on the top of the second ceramic layer 120, and is volatilized out of the second ceramic layer 120.
In the design of the main body comprising three ceramic grain layers, a third heating body 132 can further be set at the bottom of said third ceramic layer 130 adjacent to the second surface, the preheating body 32 and/or 112 heats the liquid, namely, the E-liquid in the preheating layer 30 so that the E-liquid is heated and enters the first ceramic layer 110. The subsequent movement process of the E-liquid is the same as above.
Preferably, the heating bodies in the grain layers are evenly set in the ceramic body, for example, on the periphery of the ceramic body normally in a geometrically symmetric way, as shown in Figure 13 to Figure 15.
Preferably, the above-mentioned heating bodies 112, 122, and 132 in the grain layers can also be configured differently in combination with the preheating body 32 in the semi-closed preheating layer. In Figure 13 to Figure 15, the preheating layer 30 can be designed into a simplified preheating layer as shown in Figure 11 or a semi-closed preheating layer as shown in Figure 12. When the preheating layer is designed into a semi-closed preheating layer, the preheating layer comprises components such as E-liquid inlet, but these components are not shown in Figure 13 to Figure 15 for the purpose of simplifying the description. When the preheating layer is designed into a simplified preheating layer and a heating body of a grain layer is set on the first surface of the main body, said heating body of a grain layer is equivalent to the preheating resistor 4 in the preheating layer, as shown in Figure 13.
As shown in Figure 13, the three grain layers all contain a heating body, wherein the first heating body 112 in the first grain layer is equivalent to and replaces the preheating resistor 4 in the preheating layer in the simplified design shown in Figure 11. In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the heating bodies 132 and 122 in the third grain layer and the second grain layer are used together with the preheating body 32 in the preheating layer shown in Figure 12. In the embodiment shown in Figure 15, the three grain layers all contain their own heating bodies 112, 122, and 132 and are used together with the preheating body 32 in the preheating layer shown in Figure 12.
Figure 13 to Figure 15 show different combinations of the heating bodies 112, 122, and 132 in the grain layers with the fluid preheating layer 30, and the atomizing core 3 in the present invention is not limited to these combinations.
When a heating body of a grain layer is used together with the preheating body in the preheating layer, the heating body of the grain layer and the preheating body simultaneously heat the E-liquid in the preheating layer from the top and the bottom of the preheating layer, the E-liquid in the preheating layer is preheated more quickly, and the E-liquid flows more quickly in the main body. Thus, the amount of atomized gas and the atomization efficiency are both improved.
In the present design, the first ceramic layer 110, the second ceramic layer 120, and the third ceramic layer 130 are exemplified. Of course, N ceramic layers can be configured and they are numbered as 1, 2, 3,..., N-1, and N in sequence from the down top, each ceramic layer is equipped with a heating body (for example, heating resistor), these heating resistors are numbered as R1, R2, R3, ..., R(N-1), and R(N) in sequence from the down top, and the temperatures required for the heating resistors are numbered as T1, T2, T3, ...T(N-1), and T(N) in sequence from the down top, wherein Tl≥T2≥T3...≥T(N-1)≥T(N). In this way, layer-by-layer heating is realized. The E-liquid (liquid) is heated at first layer, the liquid enters second layer, the liquid is further heated at third layer until the liquid reaches the Nth layer. As the apertures or gaps between grains gradually decrease from the bottom up, the flow rate of the liquid gradually increases and the pressure of the liquid also gradually increases, and finally the liquid is heated and atomized by the heating and atomizing resistor 20 on the second surface. The electric energy required for the silk-screened resistor to atomize the liquid can be reduced because the liquid itself has high energy when it reaches the topmost layer, and some of the liquid may be volatilized without being heated. Thus, the energy utilization is improved and the E-liquid is more fully atomized.
The following will describe the use of the atomizing core 3 having the above-mentioned structure.
For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 12, when the atomizing core 3 is used, the automatic valve 34 in the fluid preheating layer 30 of the atomizing core is opened, the E-liquid 140 goes from the E-liquid inlet 33 into the liquid feed trough 31 and proactively penetrates upward through the main body 1, the user starts inhaling, the heating and atomizing resistor 20 at the heating and atomizing layer 2 is connected to the power supply and starts to heat to atomize the E-liquid 140 flowing to the second surface 102, a part of the E-liquid 140 is volatilized from the second surface 102 of said main body 1, the other part of heated E-liquid 140 starts to expand, and thus squeezes the surrounding E-liquid downward, and the squeezed E-liquid starts to move toward the first surface downward. At the same time, the preheating resistor 4 in the fluid preheating layer 30 heats the E-liquid 140. Since the automatic valve 34 is in the closed state, the E-liquid 140 entering the liquid feed trough 31 also starts to move upward to enter the main body 1 after being heated. The E-liquid in the main body 1 suffers an upward squeezing force and penetrates up the main body 1 to reach the top of the main body 1. The E-liquid moving upward interacts with the E-liquid moving downward to effectively prevent the E-liquid squeezed at the top of said main body 1 from moving downward, greatly improving the volatilization efficiency of the atomized E-liquid. When the user stops inhaling, the automatic valve 34 is opened, the E-liquid enters the liquid feed trough 31 from the E-liquid inlet 33, and penetrates upward through the liquid feed trough 31 to be atomized by the heating and atomizing resistor 20 next time.
In the present invention, the apertures or gaps between grains in the main body 1 gradually decrease in the direction of the thickness of the main body along the E-liquid flowing direction. Such a design greatly facilitates the penetration of the E-liquid. However, when the heating and atomizing resistor 20 atomizes the penetrated E-liquid 140, first of all, the inter-grain apertures or gaps which gradually decrease in the flowing direction of the fluid, namely, in the direction from the first surface to the second surface, can prevent the E-liquid from flowing backward, namely, flowing toward the first surface because it is difficult for the E-liquid to enter large apertures or gaps from small apertures or gaps. Furthermore, in said embodiment, when the heating and atomizing resistor 20 atomizes the penetrated E-liquid 140, the fluid preheating layer 30 in the upstream flow direction of the E-liquid 140 can also heat the E-liquid 140 in the liquid feed trough 31, and at least one heating body of a grain layer in the upstream flow direction also enables the heated E-liquid to move toward the heating and atomizing layer 2 on the downstream second surface to resist the E-liquid 140 which moves backward to the upstream. The interaction of the grain structure, the preheating layer, and/or the heating body can prevent the E-liquid 140 from moving backward.
Furthermore, from the perspective of energy, after being heated, the E-liquid 140 in the liquid feed trough 31 enters smaller apertures or gaps from larger apertures or gaps, and the E-liquid moving upward can also release a part of heat. As the apertures or gaps gradually decrease, the rate of the E-liquid flowing toward the downstream gradually increases and heat is also gradually released. When the E-liquid enters and approaches the second surface 102 of the main body 1, the flow rate reaches the maximum, the pressure is increased, and the heat released is increased. Thus, the E-liquid 140 which is going to move backward in the first ceramic grain layer 110 is propelled to the second surface 102. Such propulsion to the second surface can drive the atomized E-liquid to face the second surface, for example, move upward or move upward aslant, to help the atomized E-liquid to be volatilized from the main body 1, and thus the atomization and volatilization efficiency of the E-liquid is improved greatly. Moreover, after the E-liquid 140 moving toward the second surface reaches the last ceramic grain layer and the energy is released, the E-liquid can further absorb the heat released by the heating and atomizing resistor 20 next time. The energy utilization is further improved and the taste of the user is improved.
The following will describe the atomization generating device 1000 in the present invention by reference to Figure 16 to Figure 19. The structure of said atomization generating device is simple and the maintenance operations are easy. When the atomizing core needs to be replaced or removed, it can directly be removed from the atomizer. The atomizing core is easy to replace and convenient to maintain. When the atomizer works, the resistance of the heating resistor is conveniently controlled to prevent dry-burning, the impurities in the atomized E-liquid are reduced or even eliminated, and the taste to the atomized E-liquid is improved.
Figure 16 is an exploded 3D view of the atomization generating device 1000 including the atomizer 1030 in the present invention, with the atomizing core 3 not mounted in the atomizer. Said atomization generating device 1000 comprises a fastener 1010, an atomizing core 3 covered by casings 1005 and 1006, a supporting element 1020, and an atomizer 1030 from the top down.
An accommodation groove 1031 is opened downward in the upper surface of said atomizer 1030, a supporting element 1020 is mounted in said accommodation groove 1031, an insulator 1025 is placed between said supporting element 1020 and the atomizer 1030, an E-liquid guiding hole 1045 is opened in the atomizer 1030, and said E-liquid guiding hole 1045 is connected to said accommodation groove 1031.
The above-mentioned atomizing core 3 comprises a main body 1, said main body 1 is mounted on said supporting element 1020, a heating and atomizing resistor 20 is configured on the main body 1, one end of said heating and atomizing resistor 20 is connected to the support 1020, and the other end is connected to the atomizer 1030. In said atomizing core 3, two independent casings, namely, first casing and second casing (shown in Figure 6) are set on the external surface of said main body, the casings made of metals, namely, first metal casing 1005 and second metal casing 1006, are connected to the two ends of the heating and atomizing resistor 20, respectively.
In a preferred embodiment, a step groove 1032 is concavely configured in the side wall of the accommodation groove 1031, the supporting element 1020 comprises a support body 1021 and a bulge 1022, said bulge 1022 extends upward from the top of the support body 1021, a recessed groove 1023 is set in said bulge 1022, said recessed groove 1023 and said step groove 1032 are configured to face each other, and the bottom of said recessed groove 1023 and the bottom of said step groove 1032 are at the same height. Said first metal casing 1005 is configured in said step groove 1032, and said second metal casing 1006 is set in said recessed groove 1023.
The design of the supporting element 1020 is advantageous. Not only the support body 1020 facilitates the removal of the atomizing core 3 from the accommodation groove 1031 of the atomizer 1030, namely, atomizer core replacement, but also the support body 1020 cooperates with the accommodation groove 1031 of said atomizer 1030 to support said atomizing core 3, guaranteeing that the atomizing core can be fixed onto the atomizer 1030 in a proper and stable way.
The fastener 1010 can be set on the top of the upper surface of the atomizer 1030 and the atomizing core 3 is located between the fastener 1010 and the accommodation groove 1031 of the atomizer 1030. Said fastener 1010 is used to prevent the atomizing core 3 from falling off the atomizer 1030.
Figure 17 shows the overall structure of the atomization generating device 1000 of the present invention and Figure 18 is an enlarged partial view of Figure 17. Figure 17 shows the E-liquid storage tank 1080 which has an E-liquid outlet 1055 on the side wall, and the atomizer 1030 which is set on the side of the E-liquid storage tank 1080. An E-liquid guiding hole 1045 is opened in the atomizer 1030, one end of said E-liquid guiding hole 1045 is connected to the accommodation groove 1031 of the atomizer, and the other end is connected to the E-liquid outlet 1055 of the E-liquid storage tank 1080.
In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, the E-liquid storage tank 1080 comprises an inner casing 1040, an outer casing 1050, an upper casing 1070, and a bottom casing 1060. The atomizer 1030 is fixed between the inner casing 1040 and the bottom casing 1060, the E-liquid outlet 1055 is opened at the bottom of the inner casing 1040.
In addition, an electrode 1111 can be set in the supporting element 1020, said electrode 1111 is connected to the positive pole of the power supply, and the negative pole of said power supply is connected to the atomizer 1030.
Preferably, the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 of the atomization generating device 1000 can be realized in the following two ways. In one optional implementation mode, as shown in Figure 17 and Figure 18, the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 can be bent to extend upwardly and inwardly from the bottom of said atomizer 1030. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 19, the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 can be recessed inwardly from the side of said atomizer 1030. The following will respectively describe the designs of the types of E-liquid guiding holes in combination with the use conditions of the atomization generating device 1000.
When the atomization generating device is used, in the first case, the E-liquid 140 enters the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 from the E-liquid outlet 1055 of the E-liquid storage tank 1080, flows along the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 into the accommodation groove 1031, moves longitudinally (from the bottom up as shown in figures 17-18) in the accommodation groove 1031 to enter the atomizing core 3, and is atomized at the heating and atomizing layer on the second surface of the atomizing core 3. In the second case, the E-liquid 140 enters the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 from the E-liquid outlet 1055, flows along the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 into the accommodation groove 1031, moves horizontally (from left to right as shown in figure 19) in the accommodation groove 1031 to enter the atomizing core 3, and is atomized at the heating and atomizing layer on the second surface. The atomized E-liquid moves upward and is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece.
In the two cases, although the motion directions of the E-liquid 140 in the accommodation 1031 are different, the E-liquid flows always toward the atomizing core 3 and toward the second surface 102 through the atomizing core. In the embodiment shown in Figure 17 and Figure 18 and the embodiment shown in Figure 19, the atomizing cores have the same structure, but they are configured in different directions. In the embodiment shown in Figure 17 and Figure 18, the atomizing core is horizontally configured, air goes up and down through the apertures or gaps between grains, and the fluid is atomized at the heating and atomizing layer on the second surface, namely, the upper surface. In the embodiment shown in Figure 19, the atomizing core is vertically configured, air goes from left to right through the apertures or gaps between grains, and the fluid is atomized at the heating and atomizing layer on the second surface, namely, the surface on the right.
In addition, according to the above-mentioned characteristics of the atomizing core 3, during the movement of the E-liquid 140 in the atomizing core in the thickness direction, both the flow rate and the pressure gradually increase. The E-liquid finally reaches the second surface 102 of the main body 1 and is atomized by the heating and atomizing resistor 20 at a high flow rate under a high pressure. Thus, the volatilization efficiency of the atomized E-liquid is greatly improved and the atomization efficiency of the E-liquid is improved. The structure of the above-mentioned atomization generating device is simple. When the atomizing core needs to be replaced or removed, it can directly be removed from the atomizer. The atomizing core is easy to replace and convenient to maintain.
Those skilled in the art can understand that the circuit of such a atomization generating device can be realized as follows: As shown in Figure 16 and Figure 18, the positive pole of the power supply is connected to the electrode 1111, and the current runs from the electrode post 1111 to the supporting element 1020, then from the support element 1020 to the second metal casing 1006, from the second metal casing 1006 to one end of the heating and atomizing resistor 20, and runs out of the other end of the heating and atomizing resistor 20 to the first metal casing 1005, from the first metal casing 1005 to the atomizer 1030, then from the atomizer 1030 to the bottom casing 1060 or the inner casing 1040, and finally to the negative pole of the power supply. Those skilled in the art can understand that the configuration of the above-mentioned circuit is only one realization way, and those skilled in the art can change the configurations of the positions of the metal casings or other components, without influencing the scope of protection of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, an insulating rubber component 1025 is configured between the electrode post 1111 and the atomizer 1030. The insulating rubber component can prevent any short-circuit between them when a circuit connection is realized.
The air passage of the atomization generating device of the present invention is realized as follows: External air continuously enters said ceramic atomizing core 3 from the pore in the outer casing 1050, and a part of ambient air enters the E-liquid storage tank 1080 from the atomizing core 3 to keep the pressure in the E-liquid storage tank 1080 consistent with the ambient pressure so that the E-liquid in the E-liquid storage tank 1080 can enter the E-liquid guiding hole 1045 from the E-liquid outlet 1055 to realize E-liquid delivery. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figure 18, a pore 1121 is opened in the E-liquid storage tank 1080 so that the pressure in the E-liquid storage tank 1080 is kept consistent with the ambient pressure to facilitate E-liquid delivery.
The present invention further realizes a sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 including the above-mentioned atomization generating device. The following will describe the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device by reference to Figure 20 to Figure 25.
Figure 20 is an exploded 3D view of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000, with the atomizing core 3 mounted in the atomizer 2030. Said sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 comprises the above-mentioned atomization generating device 1000, and further comprises a base 2060, the atomizer 2030 being located on the base 2060, and an outer casing 2050 and an inner casing 2040, said inner casing 2040 being fastened to said atomizer 2030. Said sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 further comprises an upper cover 2070, which is configured on the top of said outer casing 2050 and inner casing 2040. In one embodiment, the E-liquid storage tank 2080 of the vapor atomization generation device 2000 consists of said outer casing 2050, base 2060, inner casing 2040, and upper cover 2070.
The exploded 3D view of the atomization generating device of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 is similar to Figure 16, and thus, the related description is omitted here.
In a preferred embodiment, a screw hole 2024 is opened in the support 2020, an electrode post 2100 is set in said base 2060, said electrode post 2100 is screwed in the screw hole 2024, an insulation pad 2025 is set between said electrode post 2100 and said base 2060, and said base 2060 and said support 2020 are fastened through the electrode post 2100.
Figure 22 and Figure 23 are overall cutaway views of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 from different perspectives. According to Figure 22 and Figure 23, the outer casing 2050, base 2060, inner casing 2040, and upper cover 2070 of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 are enclosed to form the E-liquid storage tank 2080, an E-liquid guiding hole 2045 is opened at the bottom of said atomizer 2030, an accommodation groove (not shown in the figures) is opened at the top of said atomizer, one end of said E-liquid guiding hole 2045 is connected to the accommodation groove, and the other end is connected to the E-liquid storage tank.
Preferably, an upper cover 2070 is set in the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device. The following will describe the upper cover in combination with Figures 24-26.
As shown in the figures, a through-hole 2046 is opened in the upper cover 2070, an air guiding pipe 2035 is mounted in said through-hole 2046, and the bottom of said air guiding pipe 2035 is located above the atomizing core 3. An E-liquid injection hole 2047 is additionally opened in the upper cover 2070, said E-liquid injection hole 2047 is connected to said E-liquid storage tank 2080, a slide rail 2092 is additionally set on the upper surface of said upper cover 2070, and a slide cover 2094 can move horizontally on the slide rail 2092 relative to the E-liquid injection hole 2047 to expose or close the E-liquid injection hole 2047.
In a preferred embodiment, an elastic element 2093 is additionally set on the upper surface of the upper cover 2070, the upper side of said elastic element touches against the sliding cover 2094, a round groove 2095 corresponding to the elastic element 2093 is set in the sliding cover 2094, and the round groove 2095 corresponds to the elastic element 2093. A sliding hole 2096 is opened in the sliding cover 2094, the sliding hole 2096 corresponds to the through-hole 2046, a cap 2090 is additionally set on said sliding cover 2094, and a mouthpiece is mounted in the sliding hole 2096 for the user to inhale.
When the E-liquid 140 needs to be injected, the sliding cover 2094 is pushed outward so that the sliding cover moves horizontally on the sliding rail to expose the E-liquid injection hole 2047. The E-liquid 140 is injected into the E-liquid storage tank 2080 through the E-liquid injection hole 2047. After the injection of the E-liquid is completed, the sliding cover 2094 is pushed in an opposite direction. During the movement of the sliding cover, the elastic element 2093 always touches the lower surface of the sliding cover 2094. When the elastic element 2093 enters the round groove 2095, a sound is given out, indicating that the sliding cover 2094 slides in place. The sealing of the E-liquid injection hole 2047 by sliding can prevent the pressure produced when the E-liquid injection hole is closed, that is to say, no pressure will be brought about to the E-liquid in the E-liquid storage tank 2080 when the E-liquid injection hole is closed.
When the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is used, the E-liquid 140 enters the E-liquid guiding hole 2045 from the E-liquid storage tank 2080, goes along said E-liquid guiding hole 2045 into the accommodation groove 2031, moves upward in the accommodation groove 2031 to enter the atomizing core 3, and is atomized on the atomizing core 3, and the atomized E-liquid flows upward through the air guiding pipe 2035 to enter the through-hole 2046 and the sliding hole 2096 for the user to inhale.
The designed circuit of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 is realized as follows: The positive pole of the power supply is connected to the electrode post 2111, the current runs from the electrode post to the support 2020, from the support 2020 to said second metal casing 2006, then to one end of the heating and atomizing resistor 20, out of the other end of said resistor 20 to the first metal casing 2005, to the atomizer 2030, and finally to the base 2060, the base 2060 is connected to the negative pole of the power supply, and an insulation pad 2015 is set between the electrode 2111 and the base 2060 to prevent any short-circuit.
The air passage of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 2000 of the present invention is realized as follows: Air enters the atomizing core 3 through the air guiding pipe 2035, the pressure decreases at the atomizing core 3 when the user inhales, and the E-liquid 140 goes along the E-liquid guiding hole 2045 into the accommodation groove 2031 and then into the atomizing core 3; when the user stops inhaling, ambient air enters the atomizing core 3 through the air guiding pipe 2035, and a part of ambient air enters the E-liquid storage tank 2080 through the accommodation groove 2031 and the E-liquid guiding hole 2045 to keep the internal pressure and the ambient pressure consistent.
The present invention additionally realizes a negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 3000. The following will describe the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device by reference to Figure 27 to Figure 29.
Said negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 3000 further comprises an E-liquid storage tank 3080 which has a pore 3034, said pore 3034 being connected to the ambient environment; an E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 which has an E-liquid inlet and an E-liquid outlet, the E-liquid inlet being set at the bottom of the E-liquid storage tank 3080, the E-liquid outlet extending upward out of the E-liquid storage tank 3080; a cartridge body 3400 which is covered on the atomizing core 3, a plurality of air-regulating holes 3051 being opened in the side wall of the cartridge body 3400, and said air-regulating holes 3051 corresponding to the atomizer 3030.
Such a configuration is favorable to the realization of negative-pressure E-liquid guiding at a normal temperature and pressure. The E-liquid 140 is delivered to the atomizing core 3 and is atomized in a cotton-free condition, and the taste to the E-liquid is improved greatly. In addition, the structure of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is simple and it is convenient to maintain the device.
The description of structure same as that of the sheet-type vapor atomization generation device will not be described here.
In a specific embodiment, said E-liquid storage tank 3080 further comprises an inner casing 3040, an outer casing 3050, and a base 3060, the inner casing 3040 and the outer casing 3050 are fastened to the base 3060, the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 is inserted in the inner casing 3040, and an insulator is set between the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 and the inner casing 3040. The inner casing 3040 comprises a horizontal wall surface 3446, an inner vertical wall surface 3447, and an outer vertical wall surface 3448, the horizontal wall surface 3446 connects the inner vertical wall surface 3447 and the outer vertical wall surface 3448, and the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 is fastened to the inner vertical wall surface 3447.
Preferably, the configuration of the pore 3034 can be realized in a plurality of ways. The pore can be opened in the horizontal wall surface 3446 or the outer vertical wall surface 3448 of the inner casing 3040. In addition, a check valve can be mounted in the pore to only allow air to come in, but not allow the E-liquid to leak.
When the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device 3000 of the present invention is used, the E-liquid 140 enters the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 from said E-liquid storage tank 3080, goes up the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 into the accommodation groove, moves upward in said accommodation groove to enter the ceramic atomizing core 3 and is atomized, and the atomized E-liquid flows upward through the mouthpiece 3042 for the user to inhale.
The circuit principle of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is the same as that of the atomization generating device of the present invention, and therefore the circuit principle will not be described here.
The air passage of the negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device is as follows: Air enters the atomizing core 3 from the pore 3034, the user inhales the mouthpiece 3042 to decrease the pressure at the atomizing core 3, the E-liquid goes up the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 into the upper surface of the support body, enters the atomizing core 3, and is atomized, ambient air continuously enters the atomizing core, a part of ambient air enters the E-liquid storage tank 3080 through the pore 3034 to keep the pressure in the E-liquid storage tank 3080 and the ambient pressure consistent so that the E-liquid 140 in the E-liquid storage tank 3080 can flow upward through the E-liquid guiding pipe 3041 to realize E-liquid delivery under a normal pressure.
The present invention additionally realizes an atomization generating device 4000 for disposable cartridge. The following will describe the atomization generating device for disposable cartridge by reference to Figures 30-33.
See Figure 31, which is an exploded 3-D view of the atomization generating device 4000 for disposable-cartridge. Said atomization generating device for disposable-cartridge comprises a casing 4100 in which an E-liquid storage tank 4080 and an air passage 4040 are set, a seat body 4060 which is set at the bottom of the casing 4100, and the atomizing core 3 which is set in the seat body 4060, wherein the first casing and second casing of the atomizing core are metal casings, and the first metal casing 4005 and the second metal casing 4006 are both set on the seat body 4060, and the first surface 101 and the second surface 102 of the main body 1 in the thickness direction are connected to said E-liquid storage tank 4080 and air passage 4040, respectively.
In a specific embodiment, the seat body 4060 comprises a rubber sleeve 4610, a base 4660, a first support 4621 and a second support 4622, wherein said base 4660 is set at the bottom of the rubber sleeve 4610 and the rubber sleeve 4610 is mounted at the bottom of the casing 4100. The second support 4622 is mounted on the rubber sleeve 4610, the first support 4621 is mounted on the second support 4622, and the atomizing core 3 is mounted on the first support 4621. A recessed groove 4023 is opened in the second support 4622, an E-liquid hole 4045 is opened in the side wall of the recessed groove 4023, said E-liquid hole 4045 is located in the E-liquid storage tank 4080, and the first surface 101 and said E-liquid hole 4045 are set oppositely. In addition, the first support 4621 can comprise a connection portion 4300 and contact and holding portions 4310 set at the two ends of the connection portion 4300, respectively. An accommodation groove 4031 is set to pass through said connection portion, the first metal casing 4005 and the second metal casing 4006 are fastened by the contact and holding portion 4310, the first surface 101 faces the accommodation groove 4031, and the accommodation groove 4031 faces the E-liquid hole 4045. A first terminal 4161 and a second terminal 4162 are additionally set in the base, and they are connected to the first metal casing 4005 and the second metal casing 4006, respectively.
Preferably, a sensing resistor 4500 is additionally set in the base 4060. The sensing port of the sensing resistor 4500 is located outside of the base 4060, and the sensing resistor 4500 can match the power supply. When the sensing resistor matches the same type of power supply, the controller in the circuit board senses the sensing resistor 4500. If the resistance is within the required range, the sensing resistor matches the power supply and can be used normally, and otherwise, the sensing resistor cannot match the power supply. A cigarette holder/mouthpiece 4042 is set at the top of the casing 4100, and the air outlet 4043 of the cigarette holder 4042 is connected to the air passage 4040. A partition is set in said air passage 4040, a through-hole 4114 is set in the partition 4115 to connect the pore 4113 in the casing and said through-hole 4114 faces the second surface 102.
The operational principle of the atomization generating device for disposable-cartridge is as follows: The E-liquid 140 in the E-liquid storage tank 4080 enters the second support 4622, goes from the second support 4622 to the E-liquid hole 4045, to the first surface 101 of the atomizing core 3, and through the atomizing core 3 to the second surface 102, and is heated and atomized; the atomized E-liquid flows out of the air passage 4040, and the ambient air enters the air passage 4040 from the pore 4113, goes from the air passage 4040 to the through-hole 4114, and from the through-hole 4114 to said second surface 102, and carries away the atomized E-liquid so that the E-liquid can continuously be atomized.
The above-mentioned embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not used to restrict the present invention. Without departing the spirit and principle of the present invention, modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

An atomizing core (3), characterized in that said atomizing core comprises:
a main body (1), said main body being consisted of grains (11, 12, 13) and having a first surface (101) and a second surface (102) set oppositely, the thickness of the main body being the distance between the first surface (101) and the second surface (102), the main body (1) having open apertures (111, 121, 131) among said grains connecting the first surface (101) and the second surface (102) in the thickness direction for allowing a fluid (140) to flow into and pass through the main body (1), wherein the sizes of said open apertures among the grains of said main body (1) decrease from the first surface (101) to the second surface (102) of said main body (1) in the thickness direction, and

a heating and atomizing layer (2), said heating and atomizing layer (2) being set on the second surface (102) for heating and atomizing the liquid flowing from the first surface (101) into the main body (1).
The atomizing core (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the grains (11, 12, 13) of said main body (1) are set by layers in the thickness direction between the first surface (101) and the second surface (102), said main body (1) comprises at least two grain layers (110, 120, 130), the sizes of the apertures among the grains of said at least two grain layers are different.
The atomizing core (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dimensions of the grains (11, 12, 13) of said main body (1) decrease from the first surface (101) to the second surface (102) of said main body (1) in the thickness direction.
The atomizing core (3) according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that said main body (1) comprises a first grain layer (110), a second grain layer (120), and a third grain layer (130) being sequentially distributed from the first surface (101) to the second surface (102) of said main body (1) in the thickness direction, the size of the apertures among the grains (11) of said first grain layer (110) being Q1, the size of the apertures among the grains (12) of said second grain layer (120) being Q2, the size of the apertures among the grains (13) of said third grain layer (130) being Q3, and the body (1) is configured such that the sizes of apertures of the grain layers satisfy Q1>Q2>Q3.
The atomizing core (3) according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that:
the heating and atomizing layer (2) comprise a heating and atomizing resistor (20), and further comprise two electrode zones (14, 15) being configured on said second surface (102), said two electrode zones being connected to two ends of the heating and atomizing resistor (20) respectively,

said main body (1) further comprises a first casing (5) and a second casing (6) being configured at two opposite lateral sides of said main body (1) respectively, said first casing (5) and second casing (6) being electrically connected to the two electrode zones (14, 15) respectively.
The atomizing core (3) according to claim 5, characterized in that said atomizing core (3) further comprises a fluid preheating layer (30) set on said first surface (101).
The atomizing core (3) according to claim 6, characterized in that said fluid preheating layer (30) further comprises a liquid inlet (33) and a preheating body (32) having a preheating resistor (4), said liquid inlet (33) is closed when the preheating body (32) in said preheating layer (30) is in operation, so that the preheated liquid flows directly towards the second surface (102), said liquid inlet (30) is open when the preheating body (32) in said preheating layer (30) is not in operation, so that the liquid enters the preheating layer (30) for the next operation.
The atomizing core (3) according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one grain layer (110, 120, 130) is configured with a heating body (112, 122, 132) thereon.
The atomizing core (3) according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that said main body (1) is made of a ceramic material and in the shape of a sheet or of annular form, when said main body (1) in annular form, the first surface (101) and the second surface (102) are inner and outer annular surfaces facing each other with the thickness of the annular body being in the radial direction.
A method for manufacturing the atomizing core (3) according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:
providing at least two ceramic grain layers (110, 120, 130) and placing the at least two ceramic grain layers in a sequential order with the sizes of the apertures among the grains in respective grain layers decreasing, and that said two ceramic grain layers having a predetermined thickness, the external surfaces being orthogonal to the thickness direction forming respectively the first surface (101) and the second surface (102) of the main body (1), wherein the size of the apertures among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the first surface (101) is greater than the size of the apertures among grains in the ceramic grain layer adjacent to the second surface (102);

sintering and recrystallizing the placed ceramic grain layers (110, 120, 130) at a first temperature so that the grains of the ceramic grain layers recrystallize and the at least two grain layers are fixed together, and then cooling them down;

placing a heating and atomizing resistor (20) onto the second surface (102) of the main body (1);

sintering the recrystallized ceramic main body (1) including the heating and atomizing resistor (20) at a second temperature lower than the first temperature in an oxygen-free environment, so that the ceramic main body (1) and the heating and atomizing resistor (20) are fixed together, and then cooling them down.
The method for making atomizing core (3) according to claim 10, characterized in that said method further comprises placing a preheating resistor (4) onto the first surface (101) and then sintering at a second temperature in an oxygen-free environment.
An atomization generating device (1000), comprises:
an E-liquid storage tank (1080),

an atomizer (1030) comprising the atomizing core (3) with a main body in the shape of a sheet according to claim 9, the upper surface of said atomizer being slotted downward with an accommodating groove (1031), and

a supporting element (1020), being accommodated in said accommodating groove (1031), said supporting element cooperating with said atomizer (1030) to support said atomizing core (3),

characterized in that:
when the main body (1) of the atomizing core (3) is configured on said supporting element (1020), one end of the heating and atomizing resistor (20) is in contact with said supporting element (1020) and the other end of the heating and atomizing resistor is in contact with said atomizer (1030), an insulating element (1025) is placed between said supporting element (1020) and said atomizer (1030).
A sheet-type vapor atomization generation device (2000) comprising the atomization generating device (1000) according to claim 12, further comprises:
a base (2060), on which being configured the atomizer (1030) of said atomization generating device, an outer casing (2050) and an inner casing (2040), said atomizer being fastened to said base and said inner casing being fastened to said atomizer, and

an upper cover (2070), being configured above said outer casing (2050) and inner casing (2040),

wherein said E-liquid storage tank (2080) of said atomization generation device being consisted of said outer casing (2050), the base (2060), the inner casing (2040), and the upper cover (2070).
A negative-pressure, sheet-type vapor atomization generation device (3000), comprising the atomization generating device (1000) according to claim 12, further comprises:
an E-liquid guiding pipe (3041), having an E-liquid inlet (3042) and an E-liquid outlet (3043),

wherein the E-liquid storage tank (3080) of said atomization generating device has a pore (3034), said pore (3034) is connected to the ambient environment, the E-liquid inlet of said E-liquid guiding pipe (3042) is set at the bottom of said E-liquid storage tank (3080), and the E-liquid outlet (3043) of said E-liquid guiding pipe is set on the upper surface of the support body (3020) and is located outside said E-liquid storage tank (3080).
A disposable-cartridge atomization generating device comprising:
a casing (4100), with an E-liquid storage tank (4080) and an air passage (4040) being configured therein;

a seat body (4060) set at the bottom of said casing;

the atomizing core (3) according to any one of claims 1-9, being set at said seat body, said atomizing core comprising a first metal casing and a second metal casing being set at said seat body (4060), and the first surface and the second surface of the main body being connected to the E-liquid storage tank and the air passage respectively.