I lllll llllllll Ill lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111111111111111111111
`US008393331B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`Hon
`
`(IO) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 8,393,331 B2
`*Mar. 12, 2013
`
`(54) ELECTRONIC ATOMIZATION CIGARETTE
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Lik Hon, Hong Kong (CN)
`
`(73) Assignee: Ruyan Investment (Holdings) Limited,
`Tortola (VG)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis(cid:173)
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 12/944,123
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Nov. 11, 2010
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2011/0168194Al
`
`Jul. 14, 2011
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63) Continuation of application No. 10/587,707, filed as
`application No. PCT/CN2005/000337 on Mar. 18,
`2005, now Pat. No. 7,832,410.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`A24F 1122
`(2006.01)
`(52) U.S. Cl. .... 131/194; 131/270; 131/273; 128/202.21
`(58) Field of Classification Search .......... 131/270-273,
`131/194; 128/200.14, 202.21
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
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`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm - Perkins Coie LLP
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`An electronic cigarette includes a shell and a mouthpiece. The
`external wall of the shell has an air inlet. An atomizer and a
`liquid-supply are in contact with each other. The air inlet,
`atomizer, an aerosol passage, and a mouthpiece are sequen(cid:173)
`tially interconnected.
`
`5 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
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`

`
`US 8,393,331 B2
`Page 2
`
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`
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`US 8,393,331 B2
`Page 3
`
`CN Creative ; Intellicig USA, Ruyan v. Smoking Everywhere et al.
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`* cited by examiner
`
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`U.S. Patent
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`US 8,393,331 B2
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`b.O
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`U.S. Patent
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`Fig.5
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`25
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`Fig.6
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`Flg.8
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`Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 8,393,331 B2
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`US 8,393,331 B2
`
`1
`ELECTRONIC ATOMIZATION CIGARETTE
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applica(cid:173)
`tion Ser. No. 10/587,707, filed Mar. 9, 2007, now U.S. Pat.
`No. 7,832,41082 which claims the benefit of International
`PCT Application No. PCT /CN05/0033 7, filed Mar. 18, 2005,
`which claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 10
`20040031182.0, filed Apr. 14, 2004, all of which are incor(cid:173)
`porated herein by reference in their entirety.
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette, in
`particular to an electronic atomization cigarette that contains
`only nicotine without tar.
`
`BACKGROUND ART
`
`15
`
`20
`
`30
`
`Although it is commonly known that "smoking is harmful
`to your health", the number of smokers worldwide is up to 1
`billion, and the number is increasing every year. According to 25
`the statistical data from the World Health Organization, about
`4.9 million people die of smoking diseases each year.
`Although smoking may cause serious respiratory diseases
`and cancer, it remains extremely difficult for smokers to quit
`smoking completely.
`The active ingredient in a cigarette is nicotine. During
`smoking, nicotine, along with tar aerosol droplets, enter the
`smoker's alveolus and are rapidly absorbed. The nicotine
`then affects the receptors of the smoker's central nervous
`system.
`Nicotine is a kind of alkaloid with low molecular weight. A
`small dose of nicotine is essentially harmless to human body
`and its half-life in blood is quite short. The major harmful
`substance in tobacco is tar. Tar in tobacco is composed of
`thousands of ingredients. Several of these are cancerogenic.
`Some cigarette substitutes that contain only nicotine with(cid:173)
`out tar have been proposed. Many of them, such as "nicotine
`patch", "nicotine mouthwash", "nicotine chewing gum",
`"nicotine drink" etc., are made of pure nicotine. Although
`these cigarette substitutes are free from tar, their major dis(cid:173)
`advantage is that an effective peak concentration can not be
`reached in the blood of a smoker due to slow absorption of
`nicotine In addition, these cigarette substitutes can not satisfy
`habitual smoking actions of a smoker, for example, inhaling
`action, and thus are not likely to be widely accepted as effec(cid:173)
`tive substitutes for smoking.
`
`2
`With slight modification of the solution storage container,
`the device and connecting structures of the present invention
`can be filled with conventional drug for pulmonary adminis(cid:173)
`tration apparatus.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an overall structure;
`FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another overall structure;
`FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a overall structure with a
`display screen;
`FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of a sensor;
`FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a sensor with a silicon gel
`check valve;
`FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of an atomizer;
`FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of the ceramic member in an
`atomizer;
`FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of another atomizer;
`FIG. 9 is a structural diagram of a vapor-liquid separator;
`FIG. 10 is a structural diagram of another vapor-liquid
`separator;
`FIG. 11 is a structural diagram of the connection of a
`liquid-supplying bottle and a mouthpiece;
`FIG. 12 is a functional diagram of a circuit.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention is further described below with ref(cid:173)
`erence to the accompanying drawings.
`
`Embodiment 1
`
`40
`
`As shown in FIG. 1, an air inlet 4 is provided on the external
`wall of the shell 14. A LED 1, a cell 2, an electronic circuit
`35 board 3, a normal pressure cavity 5, a sensor 6, a vapor-liquid
`separator 7, an atomizer 9, a liquid-supplying bottle 11 and a
`mouthpiece 15 are sequentially provided within the shell 14.
`The electronic circuit board 3 comprises an electronic switch-
`ing circuit and a high frequency generator.
`As shown in FIG. 4, a negative pressure cavity 8 is provided
`in the sensor 6 and is separated from the sensor 6 by a film 22
`A first magnetic steel 20, a second magnetic steel 21 and a
`Reed switch 19 arranged between them is also provided
`within the sensor 6. The second magnetic steel 21 is attached
`45 to the film 22. The atomizer 9 is in contact with the liquid(cid:173)
`supplying bottle 11 via the bulge 36, and the atomization
`cavity 10 is provided in the atomizer 9.
`As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the overflow hole 29 is pro(cid:173)
`vided on the wall 25 of the atomization cavity 10. A heating
`50 element 26, which can be made of platinum wire, nickel
`chromium alloy or iron chromium aluminum alloy wire with
`rare earth element, is provided within the cavity, and can also
`be made into a sheet form with conductive ceramics or PTC
`ceramics. An ejection hole is provided on the side opposite to
`55 the heating element 26. The ejection hole can be determined
`to select either the long stream ejection hole 24 or the short
`stream ejection hole 30, depending on the material used for
`the atomization cavity wall 25. The long stream ejection hole
`24 can employ slot structure of0.1 mm-1.3 mm or circular
`60 hole structure with a single and multiple holes. The short
`stream ejection hole 30 has the diameter of about 0.3 mm-1.3
`mm.
`The atomization cavity wall 25 is surrounded with the
`porous body 27, which can be made of foam nickel, stainless
`steel fiber felt, high molecule polymer foam and foam
`ceramic. A first piezoelectric element 23 is also provided on
`the atomizer 9. The atomization cavity wall 25 can be made of
`
`THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`An electronic atomization cigarette that functions as sub(cid:173)
`stitutes for quitting smoking and cigarette substitutes
`includes a shell; a mouthpiece; an air inlet provided in the
`external wall of the shell; an electronic circuit board, a normal
`pressure cavity, a sensor, a vapor-liquid separator, an atom(cid:173)
`izer, and a liquid-supply arranged sequentially within the
`shell. A stream passage is provided on one side of the sensor.
`A negative pressure cavity provided in the sensor. An atomi(cid:173)
`zation cavity is arranged in the atomizer. The electronic cir(cid:173)
`cuit board comprises an electronic switching circuit and a 65
`high frequency generator. The liquid-supply is in contact with
`the atomizer.
`
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`US 8,393,331 B2
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`3
`aluminum oxide or ceramic. As shown in FIG. 9, a through
`hole is provided on the vapor-liquid separator 7, and can be
`made of plastic or silicon rubber. As shown in FIG. 2, a
`retaining ring 13 for locking the liquid-supplying bottle 11 is
`provided between one side of the liquid-supplying bottle 11
`and the shell 14. An aerosol passage 12 is provided on the
`other side of the liquid-supplying bottle.
`As shown in FIG. 11, the solution storage porous body 28
`is provided in the liquid-supplying bottle, and can be filled
`with polypropylene fiber, terylene fiber or nylon fiber, or be
`filled with plastic shaped by foaming, such as polyamine resin
`foam column or polypropylene foam column. Alternatively, it
`may be made of a column formed by molding polyvinyl
`chloride, polypropylene, polycarbonate into a stack oflami(cid:173)
`nated layers. The air inlet 4, normal pressure cavity 5, vapor- 15
`liquid separator 7, atomizer 9, aerosol passage 12, gas vent
`17, mouthpiece 15 are sequentially interconnected.
`As shown in the functional diagram of the circuit in FIG.
`12, Kl refers to the Reed switch 19, RL refers to the heating
`element 26, LEDl refers to the Light Emitting Diode 1, U2 20
`refers to the low voltage detecting element used for the over(cid:173)
`discharging protection of the lithium cell, Ml refers to the
`first piezoelectric element 23, and Cl, C2, R3, Ll, C3, BG,
`Ml collectively constitute a Colpitts oscillator. The operating
`principle of the circuit is as follows: when Kl is closed, Ul, 25
`i.e., the field effect power transistor, is turned on, RL starts,
`and the Colpitts oscillator starts oscillating, Ml will provide
`the high frequency mechanical oscillatory wave to the atom(cid:173)
`izer 9.
`When a smoker smokes, the mouthpiece 15 is under nega- 30
`tive pressure. The air pressure difference or high speed stream
`between the normal pressure cavity 5 and the negative pres(cid:173)
`sure cavity 8 causes the sensor 6 to output an actuating signal,
`the electronic circuit board 3 connected therewith goes into
`operation. Now the ripple film 22 in the sensor 6 is deformed 35
`to take the second magnetic steel 21 away from the Reed
`switch 19. The Reed switch 19 is then closed (i.e., Kl is
`closed) under the effect of the excessive magnetic line of
`force from the first magnetic steel 20, starting the field effect
`power transistor electronic switch (i.e., Ul is opened). The 40
`high frequency oscillator may uses the Colpitts oscillator
`with the frequency of 550 KHz-8 MHz. The automatic fine(cid:173)
`adjusting element in the circuit resonates with the first piezo(cid:173)
`electric element 23. The LED 1 can be lit under the supply of
`the rechargeable battery 2.
`Air enters the normal pressure cavity 5 through the air inlet
`4, passes through the air passage 18 of the sensor and then the
`through hole in the vapor-liquid separator 7, and flows into
`the atomization cavity 10 in the atomizer 9. The high speed
`stream passing through the ejection hole drives the nicotine 50
`solution in the porous body 27 to eject into the atomization
`cavity 10 in the form of droplets, where the nicotine solution
`is subjected to the ultrasonic atomization by the first piezo(cid:173)
`electric element 23 and is further atomized by the heating
`element 26.
`After the atomization the droplets with large diameters
`stick to the wall under the action of eddy flow and are reab(cid:173)
`sorbed by the porous body 27 via the overflow hole 29.
`Droplets with small diameters float in stream and form aero(cid:173)
`sols, which are sucked out via the aerosol passage 12, gas vent
`17 and mouthpiece 15. The solution storage porous body 28
`in the liquid-supplying bottle 11 is in contact with the bulge
`36 on the atomizer 9, thereby achieving the capillary infiltra(cid:173)
`tion liquid-supplying.
`The mouthpiece 15 is threaded. When the nicotine solution 65
`in the liquid-supplying bottle 11 is used up, users can screw
`the mouthpiece 15 out to take the liquid-supplying bottle 11
`
`4
`out, refill the liquid-supplying bottle 11 with the nicotine
`solution, put the liquid-supplying bottle 11 into the shell 14
`again, and then screw the mouthpiece 15.
`The Reed switch 19, the first magnetic steel 20, the second
`magnetic steel 21, the ripple film 22 can be replaced by a
`semiconductor strain gauge with sealed film, which is
`mounted in the place of the sensor ripple film.
`To simplify the design, the first piezoelectric element 23 on
`the atomizer 9 can be omitted, and the atomization of the
`10 nicotine solution will be made only by theheating element 26.
`The size of such an atomizer can be made smaller, and the
`structure of the connection of the whole electronic atomiza(cid:173)
`tion cigarette is the same as the embodiment 1. In addition, as
`shown FIG. 8, the first piezoelectric element 23 and the heat(cid:173)
`ing element 26 in the atomizer 9 can be omitted, an additional
`second piezoelectric element 35 in the form of platen with a
`single layer or multiple laminated layers can be arranged in
`the atomization cavity, and the stream passing through the
`ejection hole vibrates the focus at the center of the second
`piezoelectric element 35 to achieve the effect of strong ultra(cid:173)
`sonic atomization.
`As shown in FIG. 10, a silicon gel check valve 31 may
`cover the outside of the through hole on the vapor-liquid
`separator 7. During smoking, a stream reaches the through
`hole, as the air pressure in the through hole increases, the
`silicon gel check valve 31 is opened and the stream passes;
`otherwise, the silicon gel check valve 31 is closed.
`As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 6 may also be designed into
`a structure with the silicon gel check valve 31. During smok(cid:173)
`ing, the stream comes into the silicon gel check valve 31, the
`air pressure increases and the air expands, the third magnetic
`steel 34 in the valve approaches the Reed switch 19 gradually
`until the Reed switch is closed and the circuit is turned on, and
`the air outlet of the silicon gel check valve 31 is opened with
`the increment of the air pressure difference. The Reed switch
`19 can also be made of Hall device or magneto diode or
`magneto triode instead.
`
`Embodiment 2
`
`As shown in FIG. 2, to improve the liquid-supplying state,
`the liquid-supplying bottle 11 is arranged between the vapor(cid:173)
`liquid separator 7 and the atomizer 9. A spring piece 33 for
`pressing the liquid-supplying bottle 11 on the atomizer 9 is
`45 provided on one end of the liquid-supplying bottle 11. Other
`components and their functions are the same as those in the
`embodiment 1.
`On the inner wall of the shell 14 of the electronic atomiza(cid:173)
`tion cigarette described in the embodiment 1 and 2, a digital
`display screen 32 for showing the smoking times per day and
`the cell capacity can be also provided. The sensor 6 uses a
`linear signal output, which is proportional to the suction force
`(i.e., the stronger one sucks, the longer the time of operation
`is), the atomizer 9 operates in the linear mode, thereby simu-
`55 lating a cigarette that looks like a normal cigarette.
`Within the shell 14, the microswitch 16 is connected to the
`sensor 6 in parallel and used for manually cleaning. When
`users do not smoke, they press the microswitch 16 to start the
`sensor 6 connected therewith in parallel, or clean the residue
`60 or other impurity substance within the shell 14.
`The nicotine solution for atomization contains 0.4-3.5%
`nicotine, 0.05-2% cigarette essence, 0.1-3.1% organic acid,
`0.1-0.5% anti-oxidation agent, and the rest is 1,2-propylene
`glycol.
`The invention claimed is:
`1. An electronic cigarette comprising;
`a housing;
`
`Fontem Ex. 2006
`Nu Mark LLC v. Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. IPR2016-01288
`Page 10 of 11
`
`

`
`US 8,393,331 B2
`
`5
`a mouth piece on the housing;
`an LED at a first end of the housing;
`an air inlet leading into the housing;
`a battery within the housing;
`an electronic circuit board within the housing;
`a sensor within the housing;
`an atomizer within the housing;
`a stream passage within the housing leading from the inlet
`to the atomizer;
`a cavity arranged in the atomizer;
`a liquid-supply within the housing; and
`an aerosol passage leading from the atomizer to the mouth(cid:173)
`piece; and
`with the liquid-supply in physical contact with the atom-
`izer; and
`a heating element within the cavity.
`2. An electronic cigarette, comprising:
`a housing;
`a mouthpiece on the housing;
`an LED at a first end of the housing;
`
`6
`an air inlet for providing air into the housing;
`a battery and a sensor electrically connected to an elec(cid:173)
`tronic circuit board within the housing, with the sensor
`in a stream passage in the housing;
`an atomizer within the housing, with the atomizer having a
`heating element within a cavity, and with the atomizer
`making contact with a liquid-supply, to provide for
`movement ofliquid to the atomizer via capillary action;
`and
`an aerosol passage extending from the atomizer to the
`mouthpiece.
`3. The electronic cigarette of claim 2 with the heating
`element comprising platinum wire, nickel chromium alloy or
`iron chromium aluminum wire with a rare earth element.
`4. The electronic cigarette of claim 2 wherein the heating
`element comprises a wire coil.
`5. The electronic cigarette of claim 2 with the liquid-supply
`comprising a porous body.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`* * * * *
`
`Fontem Ex. 2006
`Nu Mark LLC v. Fontem Holdings 1 B.V. IPR2016-01288
`Page 11 of 11