Electronic Cigarette and Control Method Therefor

• US 20170095001A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Smoore Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Smoore Technology Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Pingkun
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/022 Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/44 heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material

Abstract

An electronic cigarette and a control method thereof are provided. An electronic cigarette with a heating wire component used for producing heat, where the heating wire component comprises a heating wire having a resistance that varies with temperature; a power source used for providing the heating component with a voltage; and, a controller electrically coupled to the heating wire component and the power source and used for controlling the voltage outputted by the power source. The controller comprises a temperature detection module used for detecting the resistance of the heating wire and thus acquiring the actual temperature of the heating wire component. The temperature detection module presets an upper limit heating temperature and a lower limit heating temperature.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette, comprising:

a heating wire component configured to produce heat, wherein the heating wire component comprises a heating wire having a resistance that varies with temperature;

a power source configured to provide a voltage to the heating wire component; and

a controller electrically coupled to the heating wire component and configured to control the power source to output the voltage;

wherein the controller comprises a temperature detecting module configured to detect the resistance of the heating wire and obtain a real-time temperature of the heating wire component, the temperature detecting module presets an upper limit heating temperature and a lower limit heating temperature;

when the real-time temperature is lower than or equals to the lower limit heating temperature, the controller controls the power source to output a first voltage;

when the real-time temperature is higher than or equals to the upper limit heating temperature, the controller controls the power source to output a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage; and

when the real-time temperature is higher than the lower limit heating temperature and lower than the upper limit heating temperature, the controller controls the power source to maintain a current output voltage.

2. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the controller presets data of a correspondence between the real-time temperatures of the heating wire component and the resistances of the heating wire.

3. The electronic cigarette according to claim 2, wherein the variation of the resistance of the heating wire is obtained by detecting the voltage applied to both ends of the heating wire and the current that runs through the heating wire.

4. The electronic cigarette according to claim 3, wherein the heating wire has a positive temperature coefficient, and the resistance of the heating wire increases with the increase of temperature.

5. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, further comprising a tobacco liquid storing component configured to store tobacco liquid, wherein the upper limit heating temperature is lower than an upper limit vaporization temperature of the tobacco liquid, and the lower limit heating temperature is higher than a lower limit vaporization temperature of the tobacco liquid.

6. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, further comprising a mouthpiece, wherein the controller further comprises a smoking detecting module connected to the mouthpiece and a time detecting module electrically coupled to the smoking detecting module, the smoking detecting module is configured to detect a smoking action, the time detecting module presets a reference period and is configured to detect a duration of a single inhalation in the smoking action and compare the duration with the reference period, when the duration is greater than the reference period, the controller controls the power source to be shut down.

7. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a residual tobacco liquid detecting module configured to detect a heating time required for heating the heating, wire component from starting to reach the upper limit heating temperature, the residual tobacco liquid detecting module presets a standard period, when the heating time is less than the standard period, the controller controls the power source to be shut down.

8. The electronic cigarette according to claim 6, further comprising an indicator light connected to the controller, wherein the controller controls the indicator light to show a normal working status and a tobacco liquid exhausting status.

9. A method of controlling an electronic cigarette, comprising:

setting a lower limit heating temperature and an upper limit heating temperature;

detecting a real-time temperature of a heating wire component and comparing the real-time temperature with the lower limit heating temperature and the upper limit heating temperature;

applying a first voltage to both ends of the heating wire component when the real-time temperature is lower than or equals to the lower limit heating temperature;

applying a second voltage to both ends of the heating wire component when the real-time temperature is higher than or equals to the upper limit heating temperature, wherein the second voltage is lower than the first voltage; and

maintaining a current voltage applied to both ends of the heating wire component when the real-time temperature is higher than the lower limit heating temperature and lower than the upper limit heating temperature.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

setting a standard period;

detecting a heating time required for heating the heating wire component from starting to reaching the upper limit heating temperature, and comparing the heating time with the standard period;

controlling the electronic cigarette to work normally when the heating time is greater than or equals to the standard period; and

shutting down the electronic cigarette when the heating time is less than the standard period.