I 1111111111111111 11111 lllll 111111111111111 111111111111111 IIIIII IIII IIII IIII
`US008375957B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`Hon
`
`(IO) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 8,375,957 B2
`Feb.19,2013
`
`(54) ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Lik Hon, Hong Kong (CN)
`
`(73) Assignee: Ruyan Investment (Holdings) Limited,
`North Point (HK)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by O days.
`
`4,171,000 A
`4,228,925 A
`4,641,053 A
`4,735,217 A
`4,756,318 A
`4,771,796 A
`4,819,665 A
`4,848,374 A
`4,945,929 A
`4,945,931 A
`
`10/ 1979 Uhle
`10/1980 Mendelovich
`2/1987 Takeda
`4/1988 Gerth
`7/1988 Clearman
`9/1988 Myer
`4/1989 Roberts
`7/1989 Chard
`8/1990 Egilmex
`8/1990 Gori
`(Continued)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`12/226,819
`
`(22) PCT Filed:
`
`May 15, 2007
`
`(86) PCT No.:
`
`PCT /CN2007 /001576
`
`§ 371 (c)(l),
`(2), ( 4) Date:
`
`Jan.15,2009
`
`(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO2007/131450
`PCT Pub. Date: Nov. 22, 2007
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2009/0126745 Al
`
`May 21, 2009
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`A24F 1122
`(52) U.S. Cl. .... 131/194; 131/271; 131/273; 128/202.21
`(58) Field of Classification Search .................. 131/194,
`131/273, 271; 128/202.21
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
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`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner - Richard Crispino
`Assistant Examiner - Dionne Walls Mayes
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm - Perkins Coie LLP
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`An emulation aerosol sucker includes a battery assembly, an
`atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An exter(cid:173)
`nal thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly.
`An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer
`assembly. Said battery assembly and said atomizer assembly
`are connected by the screwthread electrode. Said cigarette
`bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of said atomizer
`assembly and both form one cigarette type or cigar type body.
`
`24 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.001
`
`

`

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`US 8,375,957 B2
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`
`CN
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`
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`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.002
`
`

`

`US 8,375,957 B2
`Page 3
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`Australian Patent Office; Singapore Examination Report for
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`Office Action identified above.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.003
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb.19,2013
`
`Sheet 1 of 10
`
`US 8,375,957 B2
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`Feb.19,2013
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`Feb.19,2013
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`Feb.19,2013
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`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.011
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb.19,2013
`
`Sheet 9 of 10
`
`US 8,375,957 B2
`
`801
`
`305
`
`Figure 8
`
`Figure 9
`
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`
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`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.012
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb.19,2013
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`

`

`US 8,375,957 B2
`
`1
`ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`The invention relates to an electronic cigarette containing
`nicotine but not tar.
`
`BACKGROUND ART
`
`2
`The fiber containing cigarette liquid is located on one end of
`the cigarette liquid bottle, and this end is inserted into the
`secondary shell and lies against the atomizer. The suction
`nozzle is located on the other end of the cigarette liquid bottle.
`Between the fiber and interior wall of the cigarette liquid
`bottle is an air intake hole. The said cigarette liquid bottle and
`suction nozzle are made of non-toxic plastic. The said fiber is
`made of polypropylene or nylon. The cigarette liquid in the
`said fiber for atomization contains 0.1-3.5% nicotine, 0.05-
`lO 5% tobacco flavor, 0.1-3% organic acid, 0.1-0.5% stabilizer,
`and propanediol for the remaining. The said sucker and its
`connecting structure may be loaded with conventional drugs
`for delivery to the lung.
`This invention will bring the following benefits and active
`15 effects: For this invention, smoking doesn't bring any ciga(cid:173)
`rette tar, considerably reducing the carcinogenic risks. At the
`same time, the smokers can still enjoy the feel and excitement
`of smoking, and there is no fire hazard since there is no need
`for igniting. In addition, the unit and its connecting structure
`20 of this invention may also be loaded with conventional drugs
`for delivery to the lung.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`
`Today when it is known that "smoking is harmful to your
`health", there are still one billion people smoking cigarettes,
`and this figure is increasing every year. Although smoking
`causes serious respiratory system diseases and cancers, it is
`still difficult for smokers to completely quit smoking.
`Nicotine is the active ingredient of a cigarette. During
`smoking, nicotine produces a lot of tar mist as the cigarette
`bums. The tar mist accesses the smoker's pulmonary alveolus
`and is quickly absorbed into the blood. Nicotine thus acts on
`the receptors of the smoker's central nervous system.
`Nicotine is a micromolecular alkaloid, which is basically
`harmless to human bodies within a small dosage. Plus, the
`halflife period of nicotine is extremely short in blood. Tar, on
`the other hand, is the major harmful substance in tobacco.
`Tobacco tar may include several thousands of ingredients,
`dozens of which are carcinogenic substances. Furthermore, it 25
`has been shown that second hand smoking is even more
`harmful to non-smokers.
`Some cigarette substitutes do not contain harmful tar but do
`contain relatively pure nicotine. Such products include the
`"Cigarette Patch", "Nicotine Gargle", "Aerosol Packed in the
`High Pressure Tank with Propellant", "Nicotine Chewing
`Gum". These products are not as harmful as tar, but they are
`absorbed very slowly. As a result, the peak concentration of
`nicotine cannot be effectively established in blood, and the
`smokers are not satisfied in full. In addition, the substitutes do 35
`not satisfy the smokers "smoking" habit of repetitively inhal-
`ing and exhaling. Therefore, the substitute products are not
`effective as cigarette substitutes to quit smoking.
`
`THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`FIG. 1 is the visual appearance of the cigarette type of this
`invention.
`FIG. 2A is the diagram of one structure of the battery
`assembly of this invention.
`FIG. 2B is the diagram of another structure of the battery
`30 assembly of this invention.
`FIG. 3 is the diagram of the diagram of the atomizer assem(cid:173)
`bly of this invention.
`FIG. 4 is the diagram of the cigarette bottle assembly of this
`invention.
`FIG. SA is the diagram of one internal structure of this
`invention.
`FIG. SB is the diagram of another internal structure of this
`invention.
`FIG. 6 is the diagram of the structure of the charger of this
`40 invention.
`FIG. 7 is the electric circuit diagram of MCU and MOS(cid:173)
`FET of this invention.
`FIG. 8 is the diagram of the structure of the capillary
`impregnation atomizer of this invention.
`FIG. 9 is the left view of FIG. 8.
`FIG. 10 is the diagram of the structure of the spray atomizer
`of this invention.
`FIG. 11 is the left view of FIG. 10.
`FIG. 12 is the diagram of the structure of the cigar type of
`50 this invention.
`
`45
`
`SPECIFIC MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE
`INVENTION
`
`This invention is further described as follows on the basis
`of the drawings.
`
`Example 1
`
`As shown in FIG. 1, the visual appearance of this invention
`is similar to a cigarette inserted into the cigarette holder, and
`includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a
`cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode (209)
`is located in one end of the battery assembly, and an internal
`65 thread electrode (302) is located in one end of the atomizer
`assembly. The battery assembly and atomizer assembly are
`connected through the screwthread electrode into an emula-
`
`The purpose of this invention is to provide an electronic
`cigarette that substitutes for real cigarettes and helps smokers
`to quit smoking. For this invention, the aerosol may be
`regarded as liquid drops suspended in the air.
`The present invention includes a battery assembly, an
`atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. The bat(cid:173)
`tery assembly connects with one end of the atomizer assem(cid:173)
`bly, and the cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other
`end of the atomizer assembly, thus forming one cigarette type
`or cigar type body.
`The atomizer may be a capillary impregnation atomizer or
`spray atomizer, inside which there is a heating body. The said
`spray atomizer has a spray hole on it. The said spray hole is
`made of foamed ceramics, micro-porous ceramics, foamed 55
`metal, stainless steel fiber felt, or chemical fiber molding,
`which are drilled for holes. The said heating body is made of
`the micro-porous ceramics on which nickel-chromium alloy
`wire, iron-chromium alloy wire, platinum wire, or other elec(cid:173)
`trothermal materials are wound. Alternatively, it may be a 60
`porous component made of electrically conductive ceramics
`or PTC ceramics and associated with a sintered electrode. The
`surface of the heating body is sintered into high-temperature
`glaze to fix the zeolite grains, which are made of natural
`zeolite, artificial non-organic micro-porous ceramics or alu(cid:173)
`minum oxide grains. The said cigarette bottle assembly
`includes the cigarette liquid bottle, fiber and suction nozzle.
`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.014
`
`

`

`US 8,375,957 B2
`
`3
`tion cigarette. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into
`the other end of atomizer assembly, to form one cigarette type
`emulation aerosol sucker.
`As shown in FIG. 2A, the battery assembly includes the
`indicator (202), lithium ion battery (203), MOSFET electric 5
`circuit board (205), sensor (207), silica gel corrugated mem(cid:173)
`brane (208), primary screwthread electrode (209), primary
`negative pressure cavity (210), and primary shell (211). On
`one end of the primary shell (211) is an external thread elec(cid:173)
`trode (209), while on the other end is an indicator (202), 10
`where there is an indicator cap (201) on one side, in which
`there is a fine hole (501). On the other side, the lithium ion
`battery (203) and MOSFET electric circuit board (205) are
`connected successively. The sensor (207) is located on MOS(cid:173)
`FET electric circuit board (205). Between the primary 15
`screwthread electrode (209) and sensor (207) is a silica gel
`corrugated membrane (208), on which there is the primary
`negative pressure cavity (210). The sensor (207) is connected
`with the silica gel corrugated membrane (208) through the
`switch spring (212).
`Therein, the sensor (207) may be switch sensor made of
`elastic alloy slice, Hall element oflinear output, semiconduc-
`tor force-sensitive chip, semiconductor matrix thermoelectric
`bridge chip, capacitance or inductance sensor. The indicators
`(202) include two red LEDs. The lithium ion battery (203) 25
`may be either a rechargeable polymer lithium ion battery or a
`rechargeable lithium ion battery. The external thread elec(cid:173)
`trode (209) is a gold-coated stainless steel or brass part with a
`hole drilled in the center. The silica gel corrugated membrane
`(208) may alternatively be made of fluorinated rubber, buty- 30
`ronitrile rubber, or elastic alloy film.
`As shown in FIG. 3, the atomizer assembly includes the
`internal thread electrode (302), air-liquid separator (303),
`atomizer (307) and the secondary shell (306). One end of the
`secondary shell (306) is inserted into the cigarette bottle 35
`assembly for connection, while the other end has an internal
`thread electrode (302), in which there is the secondary nega(cid:173)
`tive pressure cavity (301). The air-liquid separator (303) and
`the atomizer (307) are connected with the internal thread
`electrode (302) successively. On the secondary shell (306), 40
`there is an air intake hole (502). The air-liquid separator (303)
`is made of stainless steel or plastic with a hole drilled. The
`internal thread electrode (302) is a gold-coated stainless steel
`or brass part with a hole drilled in the center.
`The atomizer (307) may be a capillary impregnation atom- 45
`izer as FIGS. 8 and 9 show, or a spray atomizer as FIGS. 10
`and 11 show. For this embodiment, it is a spray atomizer.
`As shown in FIG. 4, the cigarette bottle assembly includes
`the cigarette liquid bottle ( 401 ), fiber ( 402) and suction nozzle
`( 403). The fiber ( 402) containing cigarette liquid is located on 50
`one end of the cigarette liquid bottle ( 401 ), and this end is
`inserted into the secondary shell (306) and lies against the
`atomizer (307). The suction nozzle (403) is located on the
`other end of the cigarette liquid bottle (401). Between the
`fiber ( 402) and interior wall of the cigarette liquid bottle ( 401) 55
`is an air intake hole (503).
`As shown in FIG. SA, the standby state of this invention has
`the fully charged battery assembly shown on FIG. 2A fas(cid:173)
`tened onto the atomizer assembly shown on FIG. 3, which is
`then inserted into the cigarette bottle assembly shown on FIG. 60
`4. When the user slightly sucks the suction nozzle ( 403), the
`negative pressure forms on the silica gel corrugated mem(cid:173)
`brane (208) through the air intake hole (503) and the primary
`and secondary negative pressure cavities (210, 301), and the
`silica gel corrugated membrane (208), under the action of 65
`suction pressure difference, distorts to drive the switch spring
`(212) and sensor (207), thus invoking MOSFET electric cir-
`
`4
`cuit board (205). At this moment, the indicators (202) are lit
`gradually; the lithium ion battery (203) electrifies the heating
`body (305) inside the atomizer (307) through MOSFET elec(cid:173)
`tric circuit board (205) as well as the internal and external
`thread electrodes (302, 209), so that the heating body (305)
`inside the atomizer (307) produces heat. The fiber (402)
`inside the cigarette liquid bottle (401) contains cigarette liq(cid:173)
`uid, which soaks the micro-porous ceramics (801) inside the
`atomizer through the fiber ( 402). The air enters through the air
`intake hole (502), passes through the run-through hole on the
`air-liquid separator (303), and helps to form air-liquid mix(cid:173)
`ture in the spray nozzle (304) of the atomizer (307). The
`air-liquid mixture sprays onto the heating body (305), gets
`vaporized, and is quickly absorbed into the airflow and con(cid:173)
`densed into aerosol, which passes through the air intake hole
`(503) and suction nozzle ( 403) to form white mist type aero(cid:173)
`sol.
`When suction stops, the switch spring (212) and sensor
`20 (207) are reset; the atomizer (307) stops working; the indica(cid:173)
`tors (202) gradually die down. When the operation times
`reaches the pre-set value, the atomizer (307) provides a work
`delay of 5-20 seconds per time, so as to remove the micro-dirt
`accumulated on the heating body (305).
`Besides the micro-porous ceramics, the liquid supply
`material of the atomizer (307) may also be foamed ceramics,
`micro-porous glass, foamed metal, stainless steel fiber felt,
`terylene fiber, nylon fiber, nitrile fiber, aramid fiber or hard
`porous plastics. The heating body (305) is made of the micro(cid:173)
`porous ceramics on which nickel-chromium alloy wire, iron(cid:173)
`chromium alloy wire, platinum wire, or other electrothermal
`materials are wound. Alternatively, it may be a porous com(cid:173)
`ponent directly made of electrically conductive ceramics or
`PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) ceramics and asso(cid:173)
`ciated with a sintered electrode. The surface of the heating
`body (305) is sintered into high-temperature glaze to fix the
`zeolite grains, which are made of natural zeolite, artificial
`non-organic micro-porous ceramics or aluminum oxide
`grains. The cigarette liquid bottle (401) and suction nozzle
`(403) in the cigarette bottle assembly are made of non-toxic
`plastic, and inside them is the fiber ( 402) made of polypro-
`pylene fiber or nylon fiber to absorb cigarette liquid. In the
`battery assembly, there is a fine hole (501) on the indicator cap
`(201) for balancing the pressure difference on both sides of
`the silica gel corrugated membrane (208).
`The cigarette liquid contains 0.1-3.5% nicotine, 0.05-5%
`tobacco flavor, 0.1-3% organic acid, 0.1-0.5% stabilizer, and
`propanediol for the remaining.
`The primary and secondary shell (211, 306) of this inven(cid:173)
`tion are made of stainless steel tube or copper alloy tube with
`baked-enamel coating ofreal cigarette color.
`As shown in FIG. 12, this invention may have the diameter
`of the battery assembly increased in proportion, so that it is
`consistent with the diameter of the atomizer assembly. Its
`shell may be decorated with the leaf veins and sub-gloss
`brown-yellow baked-enamel coating, to create a cigar type
`emulation aerosol sucker.
`For charging of the lithium ion battery (203) of this inven(cid:173)
`tion, the screwthread electrode (601) that matches the exter(cid:173)
`nal thread electrode (209) on the battery assembly may be
`used as the charging interface.
`
`Example 2
`
`As shown in FIG. 2B, the differences of this example from
`example 1 are as follows: MCU (206) is added between
`MOSFET electric circuit board (205) and sensor (207). On
`
`NJOY Exhibit 1011.015
`
`

`

`US 8,375,957 B2
`
`5
`the surface of the primary shell (211), there is a screen (204)
`for display of the power of the lithium ion battery (203) and
`the sucking times.
`As shown in FIG. 5B, the standby state of this invention has
`the fully charged battery assembly shown on FIG. 2B fas(cid:173)
`tened onto the atomizer assembly, which is then inserted into
`the cigarette bottle assembly shown on FIG. 4. When the user
`slightly sucks the suction nozzle ( 403), the negative pressure
`forms on the silica gel corrugated membrane (208) through
`the air intake hole (503) and the primary and secondary nega- 10
`tive pressure cavities (210,301), and the silica gel corrugated
`membrane (208), under the action of suction pressure differ(cid:173)
`ence, distorts to drive the switch spring (212) and sensor
`(207), thus invoking MCU (206) and MOSFET electric cir(cid:173)
`cuit board (205). At this moment, the indicators (202) are lit 15
`gradually; the lithium ion battery (203) electrifies the heating
`body (305) inside the atomizer (307) through MOSFET elec-
`tric circuit board (205) as well as the internal and external
`thread electrodes (302, 209), so that the heating body (305)
`inside the atomizer (307) produces heat. The fiber (402) 20
`inside the cigarette liquid bottle (401) contains cigarette liq(cid:173)
`uid, which soaks the micro-porous ceramics (801) inside the
`atomizer through the fiber ( 402). The air enters through the air
`intake hole (502), passes through the run-through hole on the
`air-liquid separator (303), and helps to form air-liquid mix- 25
`ture in the spray nozzle (304) of the atomizer (307). The
`air-liquid mixture sprays onto the heating body (305), gets
`vaporized, and is quickly absorbed into the airflow and con(cid:173)
`densed into aerosol, which passes through the air intake hole
`(503) and suction nozzle ( 403) to form white mist type aero- 30
`sol.
`As shown in FIG. 7, when the action of suction evokes the
`sensor, MCU (206) scans the sensor (207) in the power(cid:173)
`saving mode of pulse, and according to the signal parameters
`of the sensor (207), restricts the atomizing capacity with the
`integral function of frequency to single operation time. Also,
`the MCU (206) accomplishes the pulse width modulation and
`over discharging protection for the constant power output,
`automatic cleansing for thousands of times per operation, step
`lighting/dying down control of the indicator, display of the 40
`operation times and battery capacity, automatic recovery after
`sensor malfunction shutdown, etc.
`The unit and its connecting structure of this invention may
`also be loaded with drugs for delivery to the lung.
`Above are just specifications of a concrete example and 45
`applied example of this invention. This doesn't necessarily
`restrict the scope of protection of this invention. Any equiva(cid:173)
`lent modification or decoration made on the basis of the
`design spirit of this invention shall fall into the scope of
`protection of this invention.
`The invention claimed is:
`1. An electronic cigarette or cigar comprising:
`a battery assembly comprising a battery assembly housing
`having a first end and a second end, with a battery, a
`micro-controller unit (MCU) and a sensor electrically 55
`connected to a circuit board within the battery assembly
`housing;
`a primary screwthread electrode located on the first end of
`the battery assembly housing and having a hole through
`its center;
`an atomizer assembly comprising:
`an atomizer assembly housing having a first end and a
`second end;
`an atomizer, and a solution storage area in the atomizer
`assembly housing;
`a secondary screwthread electrode located on the second
`end of the atomizer assembly housing and having a
`
`6
`hole through its center, the battery assembly and the
`atomizer assembly connected through the primary
`and secondary screwthread electrodes; and
`with the atomizer including a heater coil wound around
`a porous component.
`2. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, with the
`solution storage area in the solution assembly having a first
`end and a second end, and the second end of the solution
`assembly is inserted into the first end of the atomizer assem(cid:173)
`bly housing.
`3. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, wherein the
`primary screwthread electrode is an external screwthread
`electrode and the secondary screwthread electrode is an inter(cid:173)
`nal screwthread electrode.
`4. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, wherein the
`battery assembly further comprises a membrane located
`between the primary screwthread electrode and the sensor.
`5. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, further
`comprising a screen located on a surface of the battery assem(cid:173)
`bly housing.
`6. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, wherein the
`sensor comprises a switch sensor, a Hall element, a semicon(cid:173)
`ductor force-sensitive chip, a semiconductor matrix thermo(cid:173)
`electric bridge chip, a capacitance sensor or an inductance
`sensor.
`7. The electronic cigarette or cigar of claim 1, wherein the
`