Electronic cigarette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9386805-B2
Application number	US-201213824440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2012
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The invention is related to an electronic cigarette which is equipped with a universal serial bus (USB) connector. The electronic cigarette includes a cigarette body and a connecting device. The connecting device is retractably disposed in the cigarette body so as to be hidden therein, and the connecting device includes a connector and a conductor of which a length is extendable. When not in use, the conductor is foldably retracted to be hidden within the cigarette body together with the connector, while the connecting device is in use, the connecting device is pulled away and the conductor extends to a predetermined length to electrically connect the electronic cigarette to an external electronic device or power. Because the USB connector and the conductor are disposed in the electronic cigarette, the electronic cigarette is capable of being used conveniently and assembled quickly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic cigarette, comprising:
a cigarette body and a connecting device wherein the connecting device is retractably disposed in the cigarette body so as to be hidden therein;
the connecting device comprising a connector and a conductor of which a length is extendable, the conductor capable of being drawably received in the cigarette body, one end of the conductor connected to the connector and the other end of the conductor electrically connected to a circuit control unit disposed in the cigarette body;
the connector capable of being retractably disposed in the cigarette body and extending out of the cigarette body via the retractable conductor; wherein when the connecting device is not in use, the conductor is folded and hidden within the cigarette body together with the connector, and while the connecting device is in use, the connecting device is pulled out from the cigarette body and the conductor extends outwards, whereby the connector electrically connects the electronic cigarette with an external electronic device or power source;
the connecting device further comprises a support base disposed in the cigarette body for accommodating and positioning the connector, a first accommodating chamber is defined in the support base for accommodating the connector and the conductor, a wall body of the first accommodating chamber has a cylindrical front portion for the connector and the conductor to extend out of or retract into the support base, and the cylindrical front portion corresponds to an inner wall of the cigarette body;
the conductor comprises a movable conductor and a fixing conductor both integrally connected with each other via a coupling element disposed therebetween, the coupling element is mounted to the support base, one end portion of the fixing conductor is electrically connected to one end portion of the movable conductor through the coupling element, the conductor is electrically connected to the connector through the other end portion of the movable conductor, and the conductor is electrically connected to a control circuit unit in the electronic cigarette through the other end portion of the fixing conductor.

2. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the support base is formed with at least one conductor positioning element for mounting the coupling element, and the coupling element forms at least one mounting hole for mounting the at least one conductor positioning element; and, the cylindrical front portion of the support base has a positioning stage radially formed on an outer wall thereof for matching with the bottom of the cigarette body, the support base is mounted into the cigarette body, and the outer wall of the cylindrical front portion of the support base is mounted through a snug fit to the inner wall of the cigarette body and is positioned by the positioning stage.

3. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the cigarette body has an inhaling rod and a battery rod, the inhaling rod comprises an inhaling cylinder, an inhaling nozzle, an atomizer disposed in the inhaling cylinder, and a cigarette liquid storing cup for storing a cigarette liquid; and the battery rod comprises a barrel, a battery installed in the barrel, and a bottom case mounted to a bottom of the barrel, wherein the connecting device is disposed in the barrel, and the bottom case covers the bottom of the barrel so as to seal the connecting device in the end of the barrel.

4. The electronic cigarette according to claim 3 , wherein a male connecting element is mounted to an end portion of the inhaling cylinder and a female connecting element is mounted to an end portion of the battery rod, wherein the female connecting element and the male connecting element are configured to mate with each other so as to connect the inhaling rod and the battery rod; and, the male connecting element has atomizer electrode elements and the female connecting elements has battery electrode elements, the atomizer electrode elements and the battery electrode elements are in flexible contact with each other to realize an electrical connection.

5. The electronic cigarette according to claim 4 , wherein the atomizer comprises at least one heating element, the atomizer electrode elements include an atomizer first electrode element and an atomizer second electrode element, respectively, electrically connected with positive and negative electrodes of the at least one heating element; the battery electrode elements includes a battery first electrode element and a battery second electrode element, respectively, electrically connected with positive and negative electrodes of the battery; and, the atomizer first and second electrode elements and the battery first and second electrode elements are all made of flexible metal conductive sheets.

6. The electronic cigarette according to claim 5 , the atomizer first electrode element and the atomizer second electrode element, respectively, comprise: a metal conductive sheet which is flexibly deformable, a soldering plate with a soldering hole therein provided at one end thereof, a flexible contact plate which is flexibly deformable provided at another end of the respective electrode element, and an engaging plate which is flexibly deformable provided at a middle of the respective electrode element for engaging with the male connecting element.

7. The electronic cigarette according to claim 5 , wherein the battery first electrode element and the battery second electrode element, respectively, comprise: a flexibly deformable metal conductive sheet, a soldering plate with a soldering hole therein at one end thereof, a flexibly deformable contact plate provided at another end of the respective battery electrode element, and a flexibly deformable engaging plate provided at a middle of the respective battery electrode element for engaging with the female connecting element.

8. An electronic cigarette, comprising:
a cigarette body and a connecting device wherein the connecting device is retractably disposed in the cigarette body so as to be hidden therein;
the connecting device comprising a connector and a conductor of which a length is extendable, the conductor capable of being drawably received in the cigarette body, one end of the conductor connected to the connector and the other end of the conductor electrically connected to a circuit control unit disposed in the cigarette body;
the connector capable of being retractably disposed in the cigarette body and extending out of the cigarette body via the retractable conductor; wherein when the connecting device is not in use, the conductor is folded and hidden within the cigarette body together with the connector, and while the connecting device is in use, the connecting device is pulled out from the cigarette body and the conductor extends outwards, whereby the connector electrically connects the electronic cigarette with an external electronic device or power source, the connector is a universal serial bus (USB) connector, a peg-type or a pin-type connector;
the connecting device further comprises a support base disposed in the cigarette body, the support base defines a first accommodating chamber for accommodating the connector and the conductor, a wall body of the first accommodating chamber has a cylindrical front portion for the connector and the conductor to extend out of or retract into the support base, wherein the cylindrical front portion corresponds to an inner wall of the cigarette body;
the support base is substantially cylindrical and defines a through hole therein, the outer wall of the support base is formed with a conductor slit, and the conductor passes through the through hole from the first accommodating chamber along the conductor slit to

Assignees

• Liu Qiuming
• Huizhou Kimree Technology Co Ltd Shenzhen Branch

Inventors

• Liu Qiuming

Classifications

• A24F47/008 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F47/002

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F40/95 Primary

  structurally associated with cases · CPC title

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title

• A24F40/10

  Devices using liquid inhalable precursors · CPC title