KR20160129693A

KR20160129693A - A electronic cigarette

Info

Publication number: KR20160129693A
Application number: KR1020150188057A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이충언
Original assignee: 이충언
Priority date: 2015-04-30
Filing date: 2015-12-29
Publication date: 2016-11-09
Also published as: KR101677435B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette comprises: a housing supporting an atomization part and a battery; an inhalation part coupled to the housing in order to allow a user to inhale vapor generated in the atomization part; a touch sensor arranged on the surface of the inhalation part to sense an electric current in the body of the user when the lips of the user touch the touch sensor; and a control part operating the atomization part on the basis of a sensing signal received from the touch sensor. According to the present invention, the electronic cigarette determines that a user will smoke the electronic cigarette if the user holds a smoking part between the lips of the user, and the atomization part is thus operated. Accordingly, the electronic cigarette allows the user to smoke the electronic cigarette by only holding the electronic cigarette between the lips of the user without an additional operation.

Description

Electronic cigarette {A ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE}

The present invention relates to electronic cigarettes.

Recently, the number of non-smokers who are attempting to quit smoking has been rapidly increasing due to their interest in health and the designation of smoking zones to prevent passive smoking.

One way to quit smoking is to use tar-free electronic cigarettes. The electronic cigarette comprises a rechargeable battery, a solution containing portion for containing the nicotine-containing tobacco solution, and an atomizing portion for vaporizing the solution discharged from the solution containing portion by the smoke. When the user inhales through the suction portion, the solution flows from the solution containing portion to the vaporizing portion, whereby the user may have a feeling similar to smoking the solution by vaporizing the solution flowing by the power of the battery with the smoke.

In recent years, there has been an electronic cigarette in which an air intake sensor is disposed in a suction portion of an electronic cigarette for the sake of convenience of the user, so that the smoke portion operates according to a suction operation of the user.

However, the technique of operating the atomization part by such an air intake sensor is operated after a certain time after the inhalation, and there is a problem that the heating time is long.

In addition, in order to use the air intake sensor, air holes communicating with the suction portion must be disposed, so that the battery leakage is frequent due to the liquid leakage through the air holes, and the life of the suction sensor is also shortened.

An object of the present invention is to provide a convenient electronic cigarette which is capable of operating an atomizing unit by judging a user's intention to smoke by a simple method.

The electronic cigarette includes a housing for supporting the atomization unit and the battery, a suction unit coupled to the housing for sucking the vapor from the atomization unit, A touch sensor that senses a human body current when the lips of the touch sensor are in contact with each other, and a controller that operates the atomizer based on a sensing signal from the touch sensor.

The electronic cigarette further includes an operation switch provided on a surface of the housing, and the control unit may operate the atomization unit when the operation switch is turned on in a state where a sensing signal of the touch sensor exists.

The operation switch may include a push-button switch.

The electronic cigarette further includes a display unit, wherein when the operation switch is turned on when the detection signal is not present, the control unit displays predetermined information on the display unit, and when the operation switch is turned on It is preferable that information is not displayed on the display unit.

The touch sensor has a plurality of discontinuous patterns of electrode sections and can generate a sense signal when at least two of the plurality of discontinuous electrode sections are in contact with the user ' s lips.

According to the present invention, when the user touches the mouth of the electronic cigarette, the human body current or pressure caused by the user's lips is sensed to determine the user's willingness to smoke and the atomizing unit is operated to provide the convenience of the user.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic cigarette according to the present invention,
3 is a block diagram of an electronic cigarette according to the present invention,
4 is a circuit diagram of a touch sensor according to the present invention,
5 is a partial enlarged view of an electronic cigarette according to another embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the electronic cigarette 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

1 is a perspective view of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the electronic cigarette 1 has a housing 10 on a long rod. The housing 10 includes a first housing part 11 accommodating the atomization part 100, a second housing part 12 accommodating the power supply part 200, a third housing part 12 accommodating the control part 300, (13). The housing 10 is divided into three first, second and third housing parts 11, 12 and 13, but may be formed as a unitary body or may be formed as a single body of the first and third housings 11, Or the second and third housings 12 and 13 may be made into a single body.

In the first housing part 11, a suction part 14 for sucking vapor vaporized in the atomizing part 100 is formed at one end. The suction unit 14 includes a touch electrode 312 electrically connected to a touch sensor 330, which will be described later. The touch electrode 312 is formed on the outer surface of the suction unit 14 in the form of a ring-shaped band which is not limited. When the lips of the user are touched, the human body current is transmitted to the touch sensor 330, and the touch sensor 330 senses the human body current and operates the control unit 300 described later. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrical connection between the touch electrode 312 and the touch sensor 310 can be achieved by, for example, connecting the touch sensor 310 with a conductive lead wire in the housing 10, The electrode 312 may be formed by a conductive through-hole passing through the first housing 11 where the touch electrode 312 is disposed. Of course, the electrical connection between the touch electrode 312 and the touch sensor 310 can be performed by various methods other than the above-described method.

The second housing part 12 includes a charging port, for example, a USB port 15 for charging the power supply part 200 with power. The second housing part 12 may include a space for accommodating the battery.

The third housing part 13 includes a display part 340 and a button operation switch 314. The operation switch 314 may be implemented as a touch electrode of a touch sensor.

2 is an exploded view of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the atomization unit 100 includes a liquid storage unit 110 for storing a liquid material made of a substance such as a nicotine solution, a smoking cessation aid solution, or the like in the first housing unit 11, And an atomizer 120 for vaporizing the stored nicotine solution or the smoking cessation aid solution. The user sucks the vaporized nicotine solution stored in the liquid phase storage unit 110 or the smokeless auxiliary solution through the suction unit 14 on the side of the atomizer 120. The suction unit 14 may be integrally formed with the first housing 11 or separately.

The liquid-storing portion 110 may be a metal or plastic container, and may be configured to be capable of charging a nicotine solution or a smoking-quenching auxiliary solution through one side, or may be replaceable in a cartridge form.

The atomizer 120 includes an induction pipe 122 for inducing a solution of nicotine stored in the liquid phase storage portion 110 or a smoking cessation auxiliary solution, a heating coil 124, and a heating coil 124, An air discharge hole 126 for discharging the vaporized vapor, and an air inlet hole 129 for introducing air from the outside. The present invention is not limited to the atomizer 120 of the type described above. Therefore, the atomizer 120 can be applied to any structure that vaporizes the nicotine solution or the smoking cessation aid solution.

The power supply unit 200 supplies power to the atomization unit 100 and the control unit 300. The power supply unit 200 includes a battery unit 210 and a charging circuit unit 220. Of course, when the detachable battery is used, the charging circuit unit 220 may be omitted. The battery unit 210 is implemented as a secondary battery such as a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The charging circuit unit 220 charges the battery unit 210 using, for example, an input DC power source input through the USB port 15. [

The circuit unit 300 includes a control unit (MCU) 310 for controlling power supply to the atomization unit 100, a storage unit 320 for storing data, a touch sensor 330 for sensing a human body current A display unit 340 for displaying information, and an operation switch 314 for operating the control unit 310 and / or the display unit 340. The circuit part 300 may be implemented as one printed circuit board or a plurality of separately separated printed circuit boards.

The control unit 310 controls the components of the electronic cigarette 1, for example, the atomizing unit 100, the storage unit 320, and the display unit 350. The control unit 330 may be implemented as a semiconductor or an embedded semiconductor such as a micro controller unit (MCU), a micro processor unit (MPU), or a central processing unit (CPU).

The control unit 310 controls the power supply of the atomizer 100 according to a detection signal of the touch sensor 330. The controller 310 receives the detection signal from the touch sensor 330 and is switched on to operate the atomizer 100. The control unit 310 may display the smoking information, battery information, and the like of the user on the display unit 340 according to the operation of the operation switch 314. Of course, the control unit 310 may operate the atomization unit 100 when the operation switch 314 is secondarily input.

The operation switch 314 may be implemented as a button or touch switch. When the user presses the operation switch 314, the input signal is transmitted to the control unit 310. The control unit 314 may operate the atomization unit 100 or display information on the display unit 340 by a predetermined program. The operation switch 314 can set the function of the electronic cigarette 1, display information, or operate the atomization section 100.

The storage unit 320 stores unlimited data such as the user's smoking information, battery information, and the like under the control of the control unit 310. The storage unit 320 is implemented as a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or a hard-disc drive. The storage unit 320 is accessed by the control unit 310, and the control unit 330 reads / writes / modifies / deletes / updates the data.

The touch sensor 330 senses a touch signal as the user's lips contact the touch electrode 332. The touch sensor 330 generates a sensing signal based on the touch signal sensed through the touch electrode 332 and transmits the sensed signal to the control unit 310. The detection signal may be a control unit ON command for turning on the control unit or an ignition ON command for operating the mist unit. When the control unit 310 unconditionally operates the atomization unit 100 when the detection signal is inputted, the atomization unit 100 can operate regardless of the degree of the user's smoking by a mistake. In order to solve this problem, when the operation switch 314 is activated when there is no detection signal, the control unit 310 displays information such as the user's smoking history or the remaining battery level on the display unit 340. If there is a detection signal, the control unit 310 activates the atomization unit 100 without displaying information on the display unit 340 when the operation switch 314 is pressed.

4 is a circuit diagram of the touch sensor 330. Fig. One end of the touch electrode 332 is connected to the base of the PNP transistor Q1 (hereinafter referred to as " TR Q1 ") and the other end is grounded. The pull-up resistor R1 is connected between the battery BAT + and the touch electrode 332, and the battery BAT + is connected to the emitter of Q1 (PNP). The collector of TR Q1 is connected to the base of an NPN transistor Q2 (hereinafter referred to as TR Q2). One end of the pull-down resistor Q2 is connected to the collector of TR Q1 and the base of TR Q2, and the other end is connected to the ground. The collector of TR Q2 is connected to the control unit 310, and the emitter is connected to the ground.

The operation of the touch sensor 330 will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the user touches the suction unit 14 on which the touch electrode 332 is disposed for smoking, a human body current flows through the contact with the lips and is electrically connected to the ground. Therefore, the base (touch electrode) of TR Q1 is forcibly pulled down, TR Q1 conducts, and battery BAT + goes through the emitter and collector of TR Q1. At this time, the base of TR Q2 becomes a high level, and TR Q2 conducts. When the key KEY of the control unit 310 passes through the collector and emitter GND of TR Q2, the key KEY is pulled down and the control unit 310 is operated. The control unit 310 activates the atomization unit 100 to perform smoking.

When the touch electrode 332 is in the plot state, the touch electrode 332 returns to the high level, and TR Q1 does not operate. The base of TR Q2 is pulled down due to the pull-down resistor R2, ground (GND) is at low level and TR Q2 does not operate. As a result, the key KEY becomes a high level, and the control unit 310 does not operate.

The display unit 340 may be implemented as a liquid crystal display, an LED display, or the like.

5 is a view showing the configuration of the touch electrode 332 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5, the touch electrode 332 is composed of the electrode sections 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, ... of the plurality of discontinuous patterns on the outer surface of the suction section 14. As shown in Fig. Here, the number of electrode sections of discontinuous patterns can be designed appropriately. When the user touches the suction part in the mouth, the electrode sections (332-1, 332-2, 3332-3, ...) of the plurality of discontinuous patterns must be conducted by the human body current or two or more to make the touch sensor do. Even if the user inadvertently touches one of the electrode sections 332-1, 332-2, 332-3,... Of the plurality of discontinuous patterns, the control section 310 does not generate the sensing signal, Do not operate.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the invention described in the following claims.

1: electronic cigarette 10: housing
11: first housing part 12: second housing part
13: third housing part 14: suction part
15: Charging port 100:
120: atomizer 200: power supply unit
210: battery part 220: charging circuit part
300: circuit part 310: control part
314: Operation switch 320:
330: touch sensor 340: display unit

Claims

In electronic cigarettes,
A housing for supporting the atomization part and the battery;
A suction unit coupled to the housing for sucking steam from the atomization unit;
A touch sensor disposed on a surface of the suction unit to sense a human body current when the user's lips are in contact with the touch sensor;
And a control unit for operating the atomizing unit based on a sensing signal from the touch sensor.

The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an operation switch provided on a surface of the housing,
Wherein the control unit operates the atomization unit when the operation switch is turned on in a state where the sensing signal of the touch sensor is present.

3. The method of claim 2,
Characterized in that the operating switch comprises a push-button switch.

3. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
And a display unit,
The control unit displays predetermined information on the display unit when the operation switch is switched on when the detection signal is not present and does not display information on the display unit when the operation switch is switched on when the detection signal is present E-cigarettes featured.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the touch sensor has a plurality of discontinuous patterns of electrode sections,
And generates a sense signal when at least two of the plurality of discontinuous electrode sections contact the user ' s lips.