EP2984950A1

EP2984950A1 - Electronic cigarette and circuit thereof

Info

Publication number: EP2984950A1
Application number: EP13881800.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Qiuming Liu
Original assignee: Kimree Hi-Tech Inc
Current assignee: Kimree Hi-Tech Inc
Priority date: 2013-04-08
Filing date: 2013-04-08
Publication date: 2016-02-17
Also published as: US20150216235A1; WO2014166041A1; CN204519359U; EP2984950A4

Abstract

An electronic cigarette and a circuit thereof. The circuit of the electronic cigarette comprises a power supply, a microcontroller, and a heater used for heating to generate smoke, all of which are electrically connected sequentially to form a loop. The circuit of the electronic cigarette also comprises at least two gas flow sensors electrically connected to the microcontroller and used for sensing a gas flow in the electronic cigarette and outputting a sensing signal. The microcontroller connects the loop according to the sensing signal. The electronic cigarette and the circuit thereof use a technical means in which at least two gas flow sensors are electrically connected to a microcontroller and are used for sensing a gas flow in the electronic cigarette and outputting a sensing signal and the microcontroller connects a loop according to the sensing signal, the error working rate of the electronic cigarette after the gas flow sensors malfunction is exponentially reduced, hidden quality risks of the electronic cigarette are reduced, an error action is not easy to be caused, the quality is reliable and the performance is stable.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette and circuit therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current electronic cigarette uses an airflow sensor controller to light or turn off the electronic cigarette. Because only one airflow sensor is used and the quality is not stable with a failure rate about 0.1%, it always leads to malfunction of the electronic cigarette when the airflow sensor does not work. Then the electronic cigarette can not be used and it causes energy waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic cigarette with reliable quality, stable performance and rare malfunction.
To achieve the above-mention object, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette including a power supply, micro-controllers and a heater for heating and producing smoke, which constitute a loop by electrically connected in turn. The electronic cigarette circuit further includes at least two airflow sensors electrically connected to the micro-controller and adapted for sensing the airflow in the electronic cigarette and outputting sensed signal. The micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal.
In a further embodiment, the number of the micro-controllers is at least two, which respectively electrically connected with a airflow sensor.
In a further embodiment, one micro-controller and one airflow sensor are integrated on a printed circuit board to constitute a airflow sensor-controller. The two airflow sensor-controllers are connected in series.
In a further embodiment, the number of the micro-controllers is one, which electrically connected with two airflow sensors. The micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal sensed by the two the airflow sensors.
In a further embodiment, the airflow sensor is further used for obtaining airflow direction of the electronic cigarette to determine the type of air pressure and output the sensing signal.
In a further embodiment, the micro-controller is single-chip microcomputer.
In addition, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette including an inhalation pole and a power supply pole adapted to connect with each other. The electronic cigarette has the above-mentioned electronic cigarette circuit disposed therein.
In a further embodiment, the inhalation pole has an atomizer disposed therein. The atomizer has the heater disposed therein.
In a further embodiment, the power pole has lithium batteries or Farad capacitor inside for power supplying.
In a further embodiment, the inhalation pole and the power supply pole are connected by screwthreads.
The electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette circuit of the present invention utilize at least two airflow sensors electrically connected to the micro-controller and sensing the airflow in the electronic cigarette and outputting sensed signal such that the micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal to achieve exponentially reducing malfunction rate of electronic cigarettes as a result of the airflow sensor failure, The electronic cigarette reduces the quality risks of electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette and the circuit are not easily to cause malfunction, and has reliable quality and stable performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the circuit of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the circuit of an electronic cigarette according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is needed to state that embodiments and all element limitations in all embodiments may be combined in the case of no conflicts. The present invention will be described in detail in the following combining figures and embodiments.
Referring to FIG.1 and FIG. 2, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette and circuit to resolve the problem of the current electronic cigarette as that when the airflow sensor does not work, it leads to malfunction of the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette can not be used and causing energy waste.
The electronic cigarette circuit includes a power supply, a micro-controller and a heater for heating and producing smoke, which constitute a loop by electrically connected in turn. Furthermore, the electronic cigarette circuit includes at least two airflow sensors electrically connected to the micro-controller and adapted for sensing airflow in the electronic cigarette and outputting the sensing signal. The micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal. In the embodiment, the micro-controller is a single-chip microcomputer (SCM).
As an embodiment, the airflow sensor is also used to obtain the airflow direction of the electronic cigarette to determine the type of air pressure and output the sensing signal such that the micro-controller processes the sensing signal to detect the air pressure entering the electronic cigarette. Then, the micro-controller controls the electronic cigarette turn-on or turn-off based on the detected air pressure. The control principle is the same as the airflow sensor controls airflow by sensing, which will not be repeated.
As an embodiment, there are at least two micro-controllers, both of which are electrically connected with an airflow sensor respectively. Preferably, referring to FIG. 1, there are two micro-controllers, both of which are electrically connected with an airflow sensor respectively. One micro-controller and one airflow sensor are integrated on a printed circuit board to be an airflow sensor-controller. The two airflow sensor-controllers are series connected. The airflow sensors, or called as two airflow sensor-controllers, shall work simultaneously to conduct the loop effectively.
As another embodiment, there is only one micro-controller, which is electrically connected with at least two airflow sensors. The micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal detected by all the airflow sensors. Preferably, referring to FIG. 2, there are two airflow sensors, both of which work simultaneously to make the micro-controller to conduct the loop effectively.
The present invention also provides an electronic cigarette which includes an inhalation pole and a power supply pole adapted to connect with each other. Specifically, the inhalation pole and the power supply pole are connected by screwthreads. Furthermore, the electronic cigarette includes above-mentioned electronic cigarette circuit disposed therein.
The inhalation pole has an atomizer disposed therein. The atomizer has the heater disposed therein.
The power supply pole has lithium batteries or Farad capacitor inside for power supplying.
Assuming that the failure rate of using only one airflow sensor as X, and the failure rate of the electronic cigarette of the present invention which adapts "n" airflow sensors electrically connected with micro-controller is Y, then the following formula is established: Y = Xⁿ. For example, the failure rate of an airflow sensor is 0.1%, but the failure rate of the electronic cigarette will be reduced to 10^-6 when the electronic cigarette uses two connected airflow sensors. Obviously, the technology solution of the present invention can exponentially reduce the failure rate of the electronic cigarette caused by the airflow sensors' malfunction.
The above -mentioned is embodiments of the present invention. It is pointed out that various improvement and modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

An electronic cigarette circuit comprising a power supply, micro-controller and a heater for heating and producing smoke, which constitute a loop by electrically connected in turn, wherein the electronic cigarette circuit further comprising at least two airflow sensors electrically connected to the micro-controller and adapted for sensing airflow in the electronic cigarette and outputting sensing signal, the micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal.
According to the electronic cigarette circuit in claim 1, wherein the number of the micro-controllers is at least two, which respectively electrically connected with an airflow sensor.
According to the electronic cigarette circuit in claim 2, wherein one micro-controller and one airflow sensor are integrated on a circuit board to constitute an airflow sensor-controller, the two airflow sensor-controllers are connected in series.
According to the electronic cigarette circuit in claim 1, wherein the number of the micro-controllers is one, which electrically connected with two airflow sensors, the micro-controller conducts the loop according to the sensing signal detected by the two the airflow sensors.
According to the electronic cigarette circuit in claim 1, wherein the airflow sensor is further used for obtaining airflow direction of the electronic cigarette to determine the type of air pressure and output the sensing signal.
According to the electronic cigarette circuit in claim 1, wherein the micro-controller is single-chip microcomputer.
An electronic cigarette comprising an inhalation pole and a power supply pole adapted to connect with each other, wherein the electronic cigarette further comprising an electronic cigarette circuit claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 disposed therein
According to the electronic cigarette in claim 7, wherein the inhalation pole has an atomizer disposed therein, the atomizer has the heater disposed therein.
According to the electronic cigarette in claim 7, wherein the power pole has lithium batteries or Farad capacitor inside for power supplying.
According to the electronic cigarette in claim 7, wherein the inhalation pole and the power supply pole are connected by screwthreads.