Liquid storage assembly, electronic vaporization apparatus, and remaining volume detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12582172-B2
Application number	US-202218052340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2022
Priority date	Nov 4, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A liquid storage assembly includes: a liquid storage cavity for storing to-be-vaporized liquid; a reference element at least partially located in the liquid storage cavity and including a reference electrode; at least one detection element at least partially located in the liquid storage cavity, the at least one detection element being spaced apart from the reference element and including a detection electrode; and a detection circuit electrically connected to the reference element and the at least one detection element, the detection circuit detecting capacitance between the reference element and the at least one detection element or resistance of the to-be-vaporized liquid, and determining a remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid according to the detected capacitance or resistance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid storage assembly, comprising:
a liquid storage cavity configured to store to-be-vaporized liquid; a reference element at least partially located in the liquid storage cavity and comprising a reference electrode; at least one detection element at least partially located in the liquid storage cavity, the at least one detection element being spaced apart from the reference element and comprising a detection electrode; and a detection circuit electrically connected to the reference element and the at least one detection element, the detection circuit being configured to detect capacitance between the reference element and the at least one detection element or resistance of the to-be-vaporized liquid, and to determine a remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid according to the detected capacitance or resistance, wherein the reference element is configured as a heating element.

2 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one detection element comprises a first detection element and a second detection element, the reference element, the first detection element, and the second detection element all being completely located in the liquid storage cavity, the first detection element and the reference element forming a first capacitor, the second detection element and the reference element forming a second capacitor, and a distance between a bottom of the first detection element and a bottom of the liquid storage cavity being less than a distance between a bottom of the second detection element and the bottom of the liquid storage cavity, and
wherein the detection circuit comprises:
a capacitance acquisition module connected to the reference element, the first detection element, and the second detection element, the capacitance acquisition module being configured to acquire capacitance of the first capacitor, output a first electrical signal corresponding to the capacitance of the first capacitor, acquire capacitance of the second capacitor, and output a second electrical signal corresponding to the capacitance of the second capacitor; and
a processing module connected to the capacitance acquisition module, the processing module being configured to receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and to determine a remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

3 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid comprises a first remaining volume, a second remaining volume, and a third remaining volume,
wherein the processing module is further configured to: determine the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid to be the first remaining volume when a voltage of the first electrical signal is equal to a first voltage threshold and a voltage of the second electrical signal is equal to a second voltage threshold, wherein the first voltage threshold is a corresponding voltage of the first electrical signal when the first detection element is not in contact with the to-be-vaporized liquid in the liquid storage cavity, and the second voltage threshold is a corresponding voltage of the second electrical signal when the second detection element is not in contact with the to-be-vaporized liquid in the liquid storage cavity, wherein the processing module is configured to determine the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid to be the second remaining volume when the voltage of the first electrical signal is greater than the first voltage threshold and the voltage of the second electrical signal is equal to the second voltage threshold and wherein the processing module is configured to determine the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid to be the third remaining volume when the voltage of the first electrical signal is greater than the first voltage threshold and the voltage of the second electrical signal is greater than the second voltage threshold.

4 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 2 , wherein the capacitance acquisition module comprises:
a first capacitor acquisition unit connected to the first detection element, the reference element, and the processing module, and being configured to acquire a capacitance of the first capacitor and output the first electrical signal to the processing module; and a second capacitor acquisition unit connected to the second detection element, the reference element, and the processing module, and being configured to acquire a capacitance of the second capacitor and output the second electrical signal to the processing module.

5 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 1 , wherein the detection element comprises a first conductive port used as the detection electrode, the first conductive port being located in the liquid storage cavity,
wherein the reference element comprises a second conductive port used as the reference electrode, the second conductive port being located in the liquid storage cavity, and wherein the detection element and the reference element extend into the liquid storage cavity from one side of the liquid storage cavity, the first conductive port and the second conductive port correspond to different liquid level heights, the first conductive port and the second conductive port are electrically connected to a detection circuit for the detection circuit to detect a resistance value of the to-be-vaporized liquid through the first conductive port and the second conductive port, to determine the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid.

6 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 5 , wherein a side surface of the detection element is insulated, and an end surface of one port of the detection element is conductive to form the first conductive port, and
wherein a side surface of the reference element is insulated, and an end surface of one port of the reference element is conductive to form the second conductive port.

7 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 6 , wherein an entire outer surface of the detection element aside from the first conductive port is insulated, the first conductive port being arranged at an end of the detection element furthest from the side of the liquid storage cavity from which the detection element extends, and
wherein an entire outer surface of the reference element aside from the second conductive port is insulated, the second conductive port being arranged at an end of the reference element furthest from the side of the liquid storage cavity from which the reference element extends.

8 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 5 , wherein the detection circuit comprises:
a detection module electrically connected to the first conductive port and the second conductive port, the detection module being configured to acquire a first electrical signal by detecting the first conductive port, and acquire a second electrical signal by detecting the second conductive port; and a control module connected to the detection module, the control module being configured to determine a first resistance value of the to-be-vaporized liquid of the first electrical signal, determine a second resistance value of the to-be-vaporized liquid of the second electrical signal, and determine the remaining volume of the to-be-vaporized liquid according to the first resistance value and the second resistance value.

9 . The liquid storage assembly of claim 8 , wherein the detection module comprises:
a first voltage dividing unit, a first end of the first voltage dividing unit being configured to input a set voltage, and a second end of the first voltage dividing unit being electrically connected to the first conductive port; and a second voltage dividing

Assignees

• Shenzhen Smoore Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Mei Jiagang
• Du Yu
• Pan Tongfei

Classifications

• G01F22/00

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A24F40/42

  Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• G01F23/266

  measuring circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01F23/263

  by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors · CPC title