Electronic cigarette with capacitor sensor

• US 9,968,132 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hon, Lik
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Michael H
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILL, KATHERINE A
• Application Number:
  US14/172,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0627 Protection against aggressive medium in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0072 using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones

Abstract

An electronic cigarette, cigar or pipe has a capacitor sensor includings a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate configured to form a capacitor circuit. An output of the capacitor sensor is based at least in part on the capacitance of the capacitor circuit. A pressure sensitive component is connected to the first conductive plate and configured to move the first conductive plate based on a pressure differential between two sides of the pressure sensitive component to change a capacitance of the capacitor circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic smoking device, comprising:

a control unit electrically connected to a power supply, a pressure sensor and to an atomizer, with the control unit activating the atomizer in response to a signal from the pressure sensor;

the electronic smoking device including one or more air inlets and an outlet;

an air damping piece having an air damping channel and a through hole,

wherein during inhalation on the electronic smoking device, air is drawn through the through hole and a negative pressure is generated in a cavity, and an inflow of air flows into the electronic smoking device via the one or more air inlets, with the inflow of air into the cavity delayed by the air damping channel, causing the atomizer to remain switched on for a time interval which varies based on a depth of the inhalation;

wherein the air damping channel is formed on a first side of the air damping piece, and with the through hole extending through the air damping piece from the first side to a second side of the air damping piece.

2. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 wherein the air damping channel curves through an arc greater than 180°

.

3. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 with the air damping piece comprising a disk, and with the through hole on a central axis of the air damping piece, and with the air damping channel extending around the through hole.

4. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 wherein the air damping channel includes an outer circumferential channel around an inner circumferential channel coaxial with the through hole.

5. The electronic smoking device of claim 4 with the air damping piece having a cylindrical outer sidewall and a radial channel inlet through the cylindrical sidewall leading into the air damping channel.

6. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 with the cavity on a first side of the air damping piece, and with the air damping channel on a second side of the air damping piece opposite from the first side, and wherein the first side is a negative pressure side.

7. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 wherein the pressure sensor comprises a membrane and the cavity is between the membrane and the air damping piece.

8. The electronic smoking device of claim 1 with the air damping channel covered by a flat surface of a connection piece.

9. The electronic smoking device of claim 7 wherein the pressure sensor is adapted to convert a pressure differential formed in the cavity due to inhalation into an electronic signal.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a control unit electrically connected to a power supply, a pressure sensitive component and to an atomizer, with the control unit activating the atomizer in response to a signal from the pressure sensitive component;

the electronic device including one or more air inlets and an outlet;

a disk having an air damping channel on a first side of the disk, and a through hole extending through the disk from the first side to a second side of the disk, with an inflow of air through the one or more air inlets flowing to a first end of the air damping channel during user inhalation on the outlet, and with a second end of the air damping channel connecting into a cavity, and with inflow of air into the cavity delayed by the air damping channel;

wherein the control unit is configured to provide electrical current to the atomizer based on an output signal from the pressure sensitive component; and

the cavity is between the pressure sensitive component and the disk.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 with the through hole on a central axis of the disk, and with the air damping channel extending around the through hole.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the air damping channel includes an outer circumferential channel around an inner circumferential channel.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 with the disk having a radial channel inlet through a cylindrical sidewall of the disk, with the radial channel inlet leading into the air damping channel.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 with the cavity on a first side of the disk, and with the air damping channel on a second side of the disk opposite from the first side.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 having a single air damping channel and with all air flowing from the one or more air inlets to the outlet passing through the single air damping channel.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 further including a connection piece having a flat surface overlying and enclosing the air damping channel.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 further including a screw attached to the disk, with a passageway in the screw leading into the cavity.

18. An electronic vaporizing device, comprising:

a control unit electrically connected to a power supply, a pressure sensor and to an atomizer in a housing, with the control unit activating the atomizer in response to a signal from the pressure sensor;

one or more air inlets and an outlet in the housing;

an air damping piece in the housing having an air damping channel and a hole extending through the air damping piece, the air damping channel having at least one outer circumferential channel segment and at least one inner circumferential channel segment surrounded by the at least one outer circumferential channel segment;

wherein during inhalation, a negative pressure is generated in a cavity in the housing and air flow into the cavity is delayed by the air damping channel, causing the atomizer to remain switched on for a time interval based on a depth of the inhalation.