HEAT NOT BURN ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE OF THE SAME

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette may include steps of a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device obtaining a predetermined surface temperature of a heating component of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device; one or more thermistor of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device detecting a surface temperature of the heating component; transferring detected signals to a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device; and the controller adjusting an output of a power source to the heating component by changing a strobe frequency according to the detected signals until the heating component reaches the predetermined temperature.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present application generally relates to electronic cigarettes, and more particularly, to a heat not burn electronic cigarette device and a method for controlling temperature of the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] For all the heat not burn electronic cigarette devices shown in the market, most of them have the same type of software algorithm logic on their systems. Specifically, there is a built-in program written on the chip, which runs a pre-set data flow to control the heating features, to heat up the special cigarette and product vapor. Here, the special cigarettes are one-third of the size of traditional cigarettes. They are filled with compound tobacco rolls and are invented for heat not burn electronic cigarette devices only.

[0003] The abovementioned programs send one-way signals, outputting a changeless wattage on the heating component no matter what variation applies to the heating subject. It might work well on the special cigarettes since all of them have the same diameter, moisture and density. However, it would reach its limit if the heating objects are traditional combustion cigarettes. More specifically, there are hundreds of cigarette brands on global market. Each of them comes with slightly different size and filled with different species of tobacco leaf, which makes the heating process become uncertain for different individuals: some of them might be over-heated while some might be under-heated.

[0004] Therefore, there remains a need for a heat not burn electronic cigarette device and method thereof to allow the user to experience different cigarette via heat not burn devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present application discloses a heat not burn electronic cigarette device and method thereof to allow the user to experience different cigarette via heat not burn devices.

[0006] The heat not burn electronic cigarette device may include a case, a mouthpiece, a power source, a controller, a heating component and at least one thermistor. In one embodiment, the mouthpiece is coupled to the case, and the power source is disposed inside the case. The controller is coupled to the power source, the heating component is coupled to the controller and the power source, and the at least one thermistor is coupled to the heating component and the controller.

[0007] In various exemplary embodiments, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device comprises four thermistors. In other embodiments, the at least one thermistor transfers a signal detected from a surface temperature of the heating component to the controller, and the controller adjusts strobe frequency according to the signal.

[0008] In various exemplary embodiments, an output of the power source to the heating component is controlled according to the strobe frequency by the controller. In a further embodiment, the controller comprises a stroboscopic heating control and an intelligent heating control.

[0009] The method for operating the abovementioned heat not burn electronic cigarette device is also disclosed. The method may include steps of outputting strobe signal of an ideal surface temperature of the heating component to the controller; transferring a signal detected from a surface temperature of the heating component to the controller by the at least one thermistor; reading the signal by the controller; adjusting strobe frequency according to the signal by the controller; and controlling output of the power source to the heating component according to the strobe frequency by the controller.

[0010] Comparing with conventional electronic cigarettes, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device in the present invention utilizes the thermistor(s) to control the temperature of the heating component, allowing the user to experience different kind of cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention utilizes the characteristic that a surface temperature of cigarette is similar as the surface temperature of the heating component to detect temperature status of the cigarette. As such, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device can adjust the strobe frequency to control the output of the power source, and thus monitor the heating process of the cigarette.

[0011] Numerous other advantages and features of the present application will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of disclosed embodiments, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The objects, features and advantages of the present application will be more readily appreciated upon reference to the following disclosure when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to identify identical components in the various views, and wherein reference numerals with alphabetic characters are utilized to identify additional types, instantiations or variations of a selected component embodiment in the various views, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a view of a heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application.

[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application with a main case being removed.

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view showing the heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application.

[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates a chart showing a system structure of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a software algorithm of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing a method for controlling temperature of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to the present representative embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a view of a heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application. FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application with a main case 120 being removed. FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view showing the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application.

[0021] In one aspect, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 may include a mouthpiece 110, a main case 120, a heating component 130, a power source 140, a controller 150 having one or more thermistors 151, an air tube 160, a connector 170, at least one magnet 180 and a bottom case 190. In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 110 is coupled to the main case 120.

[0022] The heating component 130 in the present application is a heating tube as an example. However, the heating component 130 may also be different kind style such as heating blade, etc., and the present application is not limited thereto. The power source 140 is disposed inside the main case 120. The power source 140 in the present application is a battery as an example. The battery can be non-rechargeable or rechargeable. The controller 150 is coupled to the power source 140.

[0023] The air tube 160 is disposed between the mouthpiece 110 and the connector 170, and is configured to transfer heat from the heating component 130 to the mouthpiece 110. The connector 170 is disposed between the power source 140 and the heating component 130 to conduct the electric power to the heating component 130.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application may include a plurality of magnets 180 as an example, but the number of magnet is not limited to two. The magnets 180 are used for coupling to the power bank, so the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 can be easily attached to and detached from the power bank. In another embodiment, the bottom case 190 is coupled to the main case 120.

[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram showing a system structure of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application. FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram showing a software algorithm of the heat not burn electronic cigarette device 100 of the present application.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, the controller 150 comprises a stroboscopic heating control 152 and an intelligent heating control 153. More specifically, the thermistors 151 may read a surface temperature of the heating component 130 and transfer a signal about the surface temperature thereof to the controller 150. Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 150 may adjust a strobe frequency according to the signal detected from the thermistors 151. After that, the controller 150 may control output of the power source 140 to the heating component 130 to control the temperature to complete a feedback control process. The above steps may be looped until the ideal surface temperature of the heating component 130 is reached.

[0027] In another aspect, referring to FIG. 6, a method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette device may include steps of a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device obtaining a predetermined surface temperature of a heating component of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device 610; one or more thermistor of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device detecting a surface temperature of the heating component 620; transferring detected signals to a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device 630; and the controller adjusting the output of a power source to the heating component by changing a strobe frequency according to the detected signals until the heating component reaches the predetermined temperature 640.

[0028] In one embodiment, the controller includes a stroboscopic heating control and an intelligent heating control. In another embodiment, the power source is a battery.

[0029] Based on the above, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device utilizes the thermistors to control the temperature of the heating component, allowing the user to experience different kind of cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention utilizes the characteristic that a surface temperature of cigarette is similar as the surface temperature of the heating component to detect temperature status of the cigarette. As such, the heat not burn electronic cigarette device can adjust strobe frequency to control the output of the power source, and thus monitor the heating degree of the cigarette.

[0030] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present application without departing from the scope or spirit of the present application. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present application cover modifications and variations of this application provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A heat not burn electronic cigarette device comprising: a case; a mouthpiece coupled to the case; a power source disposed inside the case; a controller coupled to the power source; a heating component coupled to the controller and the power source; and one or more thermistors coupled to the heating component and the controller, wherein said one or more thermistors are configured to detect a surface temperature of the heating component and transfer detected signals to the controller, and the controller is configured to adjust an output of the power source to the heating component by changing a strobe frequency according to the detected signals until the heating component reaches a predetermined temperature.

2. The heat not burn electronic cigarette device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a stroboscopic heating control and an intelligent heating control.

3. The heat not burn electronic cigarette device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The heat not burn electronic cigarette device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a connector disposed between the power source and the heating component to conduct the electric power to the heating component.

5. A method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette comprising steps of: a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device obtaining a predetermined surface temperature of a heating component of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device; one or more thermistor of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device detecting a surface temperature of the heating component; transferring detected signals to a controller of said heat not burn electronic cigarette device; and the controller adjusting an output of a power source to the heating component by changing a strobe frequency according to the detected signals until the heating component reaches the predetermined temperature.

6. The method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette of claim 5, wherein the controller includes a stroboscopic heating control and an intelligent heating control.

7. The method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette of claim 5, wherein the power source is a battery.

8. The method for controlling temperature of a heat not burn electronic cigarette of claim 5, wherein the heat not burn electronic cigarette further comprises a connector disposed between the power source and the heating component to conduct the electric power to the heating component.