ATOMIZATION CONTROL UNIT AND A PORTABLE ATOMIZING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME

• US 20140334804A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Enbright Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Enbright Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Dong Su
• Application Number:
  US14/362,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140334804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/404
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/284 with water in reservoirs

Abstract

A portable atomizing apparatus according to the present invention includes a battery case, an atomizing device, a body case, a control unit, and a suction adjustment. The battery case receives a battery, and the atomizing device includes a heating member electrically connected to the battery for generating heat to atomize a source material. The body case is connected between the battery case and the atomizing device. Besides, the control unit is mounted inside the body case, electrically connected to the battery and to the heating member, so that the control unit receives an electrical power from the battery to control the output signal delivered to the heating member. Also, the suction adjustment opens or closes an air inlet of the atomizing apparatus so as to adjust the amount of air entering the atomizing apparatus.

Claims

1. A portable atomizing device comprising:

a battery;

an atomizer electrically connected to the battery and including a heating element for generating heat to atomize a source material;

a body case combined with the atomizer; and

a control unit accommodated inside the body case, electrically connected to the battery and the heating element, receiving power from the battery, and controlling an output signal output to the heating element.

2. The portable atomizing device of claim 1, wherein the control unit detects resistance of the heating element and controls the output signal based on the measured resistance of the heating element.

3. The portable atomizing device of claim 2, wherein the control unit increases output voltage of the output signal when resistance of the heating element is greater than a preset value, and

wherein the control unit decreases output voltage of the output signal when resistance of the heating element is smaller than a preset value.

4. The portable atomizing device of claim 1, wherein the control unit detects power voltage of the battery and controls the output signal based on the measured power voltage.

5. The portable atomizing device of claim 4, wherein the control unit boosts the power voltage if the power voltage is smaller than the preset value, and

wherein the control unit drops the power voltage if the power voltage is greater than the preset value.

6. The portable atomizing device of claim 2, wherein the control unit comprises:

a printed circuit board accommodated inside the body case and electrically connected to the battery and the heating element;

a resistance measuring unit mounted on the printed circuit board and measuring resistance of the heating element; and

a voltage correcting unit mounted on the printed circuit board and correcting the power voltage.

7. The portable atomizing device of claim 6, wherein the control unit further comprises:

a switch mounted on the printed circuit board, exposed to outside of the body case, and generating an input signal in correspondence to a touch signal;

and

a display unit mounted on the printed circuit board, exposed to outside via an opening formed in the body case, and displaying at least one of the power voltage, voltage of the output signal, resistance of the heating element, charged amount of the battery, a warning sign related to the charged amount of the battery, temperature of the heating element, a warning sign related to the temperature of the heating element, and an operation mode.

8. The portable atomizing device of claim 7, wherein the control unit further comprises a micro-computer device mounted on the printed circuit board and controlling the output signal in response to the input signal,

wherein the operation mode comprises a first operation mode and a second operation mode based on the input signal,

wherein the output signal is controlled based on the power voltage or resistance of the heating element in the first operation mode, and

wherein the micro-computer device controls the output signal in response to the input signal in the second operation mode.

9. The portable atomizing device of claim 7, wherein the resistance measuring unit or the voltage correcting unit are integrated in a micro-computer device.

10. The portable atomizing device of claim 6, wherein the body case comprises an output terminal arranged at a portion of the body case to be combined with the atomizer and transmitting the output signal, and

wherein the printed circuit board comprises:

a first conductive layer formed on a side portion adjacent to the battery case and electrically connected to a terminal of the battery; and

a second conductive layer formed on another side portion adjacent to the atomizer and electrically connected to the output terminal.

11. The portable atomizing device of claim 10, wherein the first conductive layer directly contacts the terminal of the battery, and

wherein the second conductive layer directly contacts the output terminal.

12. The portable atomizing device of claim 10, further comprising an elastic element having conductivity and elasticity, interposed between the output terminal and the second conductive layer, and electrically connecting the output terminal to the second conductive layer,

wherein the first conductive layer directly contacts the terminal of the battery, and

wherein the elastic element directly contacts the output terminal and the second conductive layer.

13. The portable atomizing device of claim 1, wherein the body case comprises a combining unit extending from an end portion, combined with the atomizer, and including the air inlet formed in sidewalls, and

wherein the suction control unit moves in the lengthwise direction of the combining unit and opens or closes the air inlet.

14. The portable atomizing device of claim 1, wherein the source material is a liquid material for an electronic cigarette.

38. The portable atomizing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a suction control unit controlling an amount of the air introduced toward the atomizer by opening or closing air inlets connecting the atomizer with the outside.

15-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A portable atomizing device comprising:

an atomizer electrically connected to a battery and including a heating element for generating heat to atomize a source material;

a detecting element capable of recognizing a continuous touch of a user; and

a control unit outputting an output signal having alternately arranged therein a heating time section having a first voltage level and a heating-stopped time section having a second voltage level lower than the first voltage level at least once, to the heating element while a press on the detecting element continues.

25. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, wherein the detecting element is a button type or a touch type.

26. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, wherein the control unit defines the first voltage level based on the measured resistance of the heating element.

27. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, wherein the second voltage level is 0 V.

28. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, wherein the heating time section is longer than the heating-stopped time section.

30. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, further having a heating wait time section for not turning the output signal on for a designated period of time from initiation of the continuous touch of the user.

32. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, further comprising a display unit for displaying a user interface for setting one of or both the heating time section and the heating-stopped time section,

wherein the control unit adjusts values of the heating time section and the heating-stopped time section based on a press of the user by using the detecting element as a user input interface.

33. The portable atomizing device of claim 24, wherein output of the output signal is restricted to a preset maximum operation time.

29. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

34-37. -37. (canceled)