Electronic cigarette and electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic cigarette, comprising: an atomization unit configured to heat the e-liquid; a power supply unit configured to supply power to the atomization unit; a detection unit configured to detect the voltage or remaining power that the power supply unit can output; and a control unit, comprising: a switch module configured to control the voltage supplied to the atomization unit; a processing module configured to generate the control signal according to the detection result of the detection unit and control the state of the switch module based on the control signal; the processing module is configured to generate a first control signal when the detection result is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage; the first control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage supplied to the atomization unit in a first time period is equal to a first modulation voltage, and the voltage supplied to the atomization unit after the first time period is equal to a second modulation voltage. The present invention further includes an electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic atomization device, in particular to an electronic cigarette. Background Art

[0002] The output voltage of existing products is direct output, that is, the output is at full power of the current battery charge. The amount of TPM (total particular matter) generated is not enough to satisfy users, because the voltage output obtained by this output method is unstable, and the voltage will gradually drop as the number of uses increases, which will cause the generated TPM to gradually decrease, making users feel that the taste has become lighter. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes an electronic cigarette, comprising: an atomization unit, configured to heat the e-liquid; a power supply unit, coupled to the atomization unit, configured to supply power to the atomization unit, wherein the voltage that the power supply unit can output decreases as the working time of the electronic cigarette increases; a detection unit, configured to detect the voltage or the remaining power that the power supply unit can output; and a control unit, comprising: a switch module, coupled between the power supply unit and the atomization unit, configured to control the voltage supplied to the atomization unit; a processing module, coupled to the switch module and the detection unit, configured to generate the control signal according to the detection result of the detection unit and control the state of the switch module based on the control signal; wherein the processing module is configured to generate a first control signal when the detection result is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage; the first control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage supplied to the atomization unit in a first time period is equal to the first modulation voltage, and controls the state of the switch module after the first time period so that the voltage supplied to the atomization unit is equal to the second modulation voltage, until the power supply voltage is less than the first threshold voltage.

[0004] In particular, the processing module is also configured to generate a second control signal when the detection result is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage; the second control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit within the second time period, and controls the state of the switch module after the second time period so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the second modulation voltage, until the power supply voltage is less than the second threshold voltage.

[0005] In particular, the processing module is further configured to generate a third control signal when the detection result is less than the second threshold voltage; the third control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit.

[0006] Particularly, the first threshold voltage is selected from 3.5V to 3.7V, and / or the second threshold voltage is selected from 3.25V to 3.5V.

[0007] Particularly, the first modulation voltage is selected between a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, and / or the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V.

[0008] Particularly, the first time period and / or the second time period is / are 0.5 s.

[0009] Particularly, the power supply unit comprises: a voltage source for providing a power supply voltage; and a voltage stabilizing device coupled between the power supply voltage and a ground level.

[0010] In particular, the switch module includes: a switch transistor, a first end of which is coupled to the output end of the power supply unit, a second end (input end) as the output end of the control unit coupled to the input end of the atomization unit, and a control end (output end) coupled to the output end of the processing module.

[0011] The present invention further includes an electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method, comprising: real-time detection of power supply voltage; when the current power supply voltage is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage, generating a first control signal so that the voltage provided to the load in a first time period is equal to the first modulation voltage, and after the first time period, the voltage provided to the load is equal to the second modulation voltage, until the power supply voltage is less than the first threshold voltage; when the current power supply voltage is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage, generating a second control signal so that the voltage provided to the load in a second time period is equal to the current power supply voltage, and after the second time period, the voltage provided to the load is equal to the second modulation voltage, until the power supply voltage is less than the second threshold voltage; when the current power supply voltage is less than the second threshold voltage, generating a third control signal so that the modulation voltage is equal to the current power supply voltage.

[0012] Particularly, the first threshold voltage is selected from 3.5V to 3.7V, and / or the second threshold voltage is selected from 3.25V to 3.5V.

[0013] Particularly, the first modulation voltage is selected between a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, and / or the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V.

[0014] Particularly, the first time period and / or the second time period is / are 0.5 s. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the output voltage and the number of puffs of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the voltage output to the load by the existing electronic cigarette and the voltage output to the load and the number of puffs in the embodiment of the present application; and

[0020] Figure 5 The present invention is a flowchart of an electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] In the following detailed description, reference may be made to the various specification drawings that are part of the present application and are used to illustrate specific embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals describe substantially similar components in different figures. The various specific embodiments of the present application are described below in sufficient detail so that a person of ordinary skill in the art with relevant knowledge and skills in the art can implement the technical solutions of the present application. It should be understood that other embodiments may also be used or structural, logical or electrical changes may be made to the embodiments of the present application.

[0023] The TPM (total particular matter) of existing electronic cigarettes is not enough to satisfy users. The size of TPM can be intuitively considered as the strength of the user's smoking taste. Using the traditional output method, the voltage output is unstable, and the voltage will gradually drop with the increase in the number of uses, which will cause the generated TPM to gradually decrease, making users feel that the taste is becoming lighter.

[0024] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides an electronic cigarette structure. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the electronic cigarette includes: an atomization unit 11 , a power supply unit 12 , a detection unit 13 and a control unit 14 .

[0025] The atomization unit 11 is configured to heat the e-liquid to atomize the e-liquid.

[0026] The power supply unit 12 is coupled to the atomization unit 11 and configured to supply power to the atomization unit 11. In some embodiments, the power supply unit 12 may include, for example, a dry cell or a storage battery. Since the output voltage of the battery decreases over time, the voltage that the power supply unit 12 can output decreases as the working time of the electronic cigarette increases. In some embodiments, the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 is the power supply voltage. In some embodiments, the power supply unit further includes a voltage stabilizing device. In some embodiments, the voltage stabilizing device is a capacitor.

[0027] The detection unit 13 is coupled between the power supply unit 12 and the control unit 14, and is configured to detect the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 and feed back the detection result to the control unit 14. The output voltage of the power supply unit 12 decreases as the working time of the electronic cigarette increases. The detection unit 13 detects the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 in real time and feeds back the detection result to the control unit 14, wherein the output voltage is the average output voltage of the power supply unit 12.

[0028] The control unit 14 includes: a switch module 141, coupled between the power supply unit 12 and the atomization unit 11, configured to change its own switch state according to the control signal to control the power supply unit 12 to supply power to the atomization unit 11, that is, the input voltage received by the atomization unit 11 is a voltage modulated by the control unit 14. The control unit 14 further includes a processing module 142, coupled between the switch module 141 and the detection unit 13, configured to compare the detection result of the detection unit 13 with the set threshold value, and generate a corresponding control signal according to the comparison result. In some embodiments, the modulation mode of the switch module 141 controlled by the processing module 142 is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).

[0029] After the electronic cigarette is started, the detection unit 13 starts to detect the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 in real time and feeds it back to the processing module 142 in the control unit 14 .

[0030] When the result of the comparison by the processing module 142 is that the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 is greater than or equal to the first threshold voltage, a first control signal is generated so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit 11 in the first time period (i.e., the modulation voltage after modulation by the control unit 14) is equal to the first modulation voltage, and after the first time period, the effective voltage provided to the atomization unit 11 is equal to the second modulation voltage, until the output voltage is less than the first threshold voltage. Wherein, the first threshold value can be any voltage in the range of 3.5V to 3.7V, for example, 3.6V, the first time period can be, for example, 0.5s or other time lengths, and the second threshold voltage can be any voltage in the range of 3.3V to 3.5V, for example, 3.4V. The first modulation voltage is selected between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage, and the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V. Wherein, the first control signal can control the on and off time of the switch module 141, thereby achieving different modulation voltages. Wherein, the first threshold voltage is higher than the second threshold voltage. The first modulation voltage is higher than the second modulation voltage.

[0031] When the result of the comparison by the processing module 142 is that the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 is less than the first threshold but greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage, a second control signal is generated to make the voltage provided to the atomization unit 11 equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit 12 within the second time period, and to make the voltage provided to the atomization unit 11 equal to the second modulation voltage after the second time period. The second time period may be, for example, 0.5s or other time lengths. The second control signal may control the on and off time of the switch module 141, thereby achieving different modulation voltages.

[0032] When the processing module 142 compares that the output voltage of the power supply unit 12 is less than the second threshold voltage, a third control signal is generated to make the voltage provided to the atomization unit 11 equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit 12. The third control signal controls the switch module 141 to be continuously turned on.

[0033] The following is a further explanation with reference to a specific circuit diagram. Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the first threshold is 3.6V, the second threshold is 3.4V, the first modulation voltage is 3.6V, the second modulation voltage is 3.4V, the first and second time periods are 0.5s, and the load resistance (i.e., the equivalent resistance of the atomization unit 11) is 1.2 ohms. Figure 2 As shown, the circuit includes: an atomization unit 21 , a power supply unit 22 , a detection unit 23 and a control unit 24 .

[0034] The power supply unit 22 includes a voltage source Vb to provide a power supply voltage. A capacitor 221 is coupled between the power supply voltage Vb and a ground level. The capacitor 221 is used to improve the stability of the circuit operation. The power supply voltage Vb is the current output voltage provided by the battery.

[0035] The detection unit 23 includes a detection module 231 with a voltage detection function. The input end of the detection module 231 is coupled to the output end of the power supply unit 22, and the ground end thereof is coupled to the ground level.

[0036] The control unit 24 includes: a switch module 241 and a processing module 242. The switch module 241 includes a switch transistor 2411, whose first end is coupled to the output end of the power supply unit 22, and whose second end is coupled to the input end of the atomization unit 21 as the output end of the control unit 24. The switch module 241 further includes a resistor 2412, whose first end is coupled to the first end of the switch transistor 2411, and a resistor 2413, whose first end is coupled to the control end of the switch transistor 2411. The second ends of the resistors 2412 and 2413 are coupled to each other. The output end of the processing module 242 is coupled to the second end of the resistor 2412, and the input end thereof is coupled to the output end of the detection module 231. The ground end of the processing module 242 is coupled to the ground level.

[0037] The atomization unit 21 includes a load 211 with an equivalent resistance of 1.2 ohms. One end of the load 211 is coupled to the second end of the switch transistor 2411 to receive the output voltage modulated by the control unit 24, and the other end of the load 211 is coupled to the ground level.

[0038] The detection module 231 in the detection unit 23 detects the magnitude of the power supply voltage Vb in real time, and then sends the voltage value of Vb to the processing module 242 in the control unit 24. The processing module 242 compares the current power supply voltage Vb with the set threshold voltage.

[0039] When Vb is greater than or equal to 3.6V, the processing module 242 generates a first control signal. The first control signal controls the opening or closing of the switch module 241 by means of PWM, modulates the original power supply voltage Vb to 3.6V, and continuously and stably provides the atomization unit 21 with a voltage of 3.6V within 0.5s. After 0.5s, the original power supply voltage Vb is modulated to 3.4V, and the voltage of 3.4V is maintained and continuously provided to the atomization unit 21.

[0040] When Vb is less than 3.6V and greater than or equal to 3.4V, the processing module 242 generates a second control signal and directly provides the original power supply voltage Vb to the atomization unit 21 within 0.5s. After 0.5s, the original power supply voltage Vb is modulated to 3.4V and maintained at 3.4V to continuously provide the atomization unit 21.

[0041] When Vb is less than 3.4V, the processing module 242 generates a third control signal to control the switch transistor 2411 to be continuously turned on, so as to directly provide the original power supply voltage Vb to the atomization unit 21 .

[0042] Compared with the traditional structure, the present application can obtain stable voltage output during long-term use, and will not produce a significant voltage drop as the number of uses increases, so that the generated TPM is also more stable, and the taste of the user remains consistent.

[0043] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the output voltage and the number of puffs of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. The horizontal axis is the number of simulated puffs, and the vertical axis is the voltage output to the load after modulation in the above manner (i.e., the modulation voltage). Here, since the circuit also includes other functional structures for voltage division, the actual detection voltage value will be smaller than the output voltage value of the aforementioned control unit, but it does not affect the actual working effect. It can be found from the curve in the figure that when the number of puffs exceeds 20, the output voltage gradually tends to be stable. The output voltage here is the modulation voltage output to the atomization unit, and the size of the modulation voltage directly affects the size of the TPM generated by the atomization unit. Therefore, the generated TPM is also very stable, and the taste obtained by the electronic cigarette user remains consistent for a long time.

[0044] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the voltage output to the load by the existing electronic cigarette and the modulated voltage output to the load and the number of puffs in the embodiment of the present application. The horizontal axis in the figure is the number of puffs of simulated inhalation, and the vertical axis is the voltage output to the load after modulation in the above manner (i.e., the modulated voltage). Here, since the circuit also includes other voltage division structures, the actual detected voltage value will be smaller than the output voltage value of the aforementioned control unit, but it does not affect the actual working effect. The figure includes four curves in total, namely: curves 401 to 403 of the voltage value output to the load by the existing electronic cigarette as the number of puffs changes, and curve 404 of the modulated voltage output to the load as the number of puffs changes in the embodiment of the present application. Among them, curve 404 is related to Figure 3 As shown in the figure, in the prior art, no matter how much voltage is provided to the load, the voltage cannot be avoided from continuously decreasing, and this decrease will further lead to a decrease in the TPM of the electronic cigarette, affecting the taste. The voltage value provided by the present application is more stable and the taste is better.

[0045] It has been described above that the present application can still maintain the stability of the output voltage when the number of puffs is large compared to the prior art. However, in some special cases, TPM is not positively correlated with the output voltage. In order to further illustrate the advantages of the present application, the present application also tests the relationship between the number of puffs and the TPM value in different schemes, and the results are shown in the following table. Among them, the vertical columns correspond to electronic cigarette 1: 3.5V direct power supply, electronic cigarette 2: 3.4V direct power supply, electronic cigarette 3: 3.3V direct power supply and the present application scheme. In the horizontal row, the number of puffs corresponding to each group is 20, the first group is the 1st to 20th puffs, the second group is the 21st to 40th puffs, and so on.

[0046] The data in the table are TPM values ​​corresponding to a group (20 mouths in total) in the current solution, in mg.

[0047] Electronic cigarettes 1 Electronic cigarette 2 Electronic cigarette 3 This program Group 1 190.5 187.3 177.8 180.6 Group 2 183.6 184.1 174.0 172.8 Group 3 181.1 179.4 171.3 165.7 Group 4 173.0 172.5 168.7 165.4 Group 5 165.8 165.0 163.9 162.7 Group 6 162.3 162.2 162.0 163.1 Group 7 157.6 160.7 157.5 162.9 Group 8 142.0 156.8 152.6 162.4 Group 9 135.3 142.8 149.5 162.2

[0048] It can be seen from the data in the table that the output method in the prior art will cause the TPM value to be greatly reduced after multiple puffs, which will cause the taste to gradually weaken during the puffing process. In the existing direct output scheme, starting from the third group, the difference between the groups is basically more than 2mg. In the present application, the difference between each group is about 0.5mg. Obviously, as the number of puffs increases, the TPM provided by the scheme involved in the present application is more stable, so the taste is better. In addition, the TPM difference between the first group and the ninth group in the prior art is more than 28mg, while the TPM difference between the first group and the ninth group in the present application is 18.4mg, so the overall downward trend of the taste is also smaller than that of the prior art, making the difference in the taste of the electronic cigarette before and after smaller.

[0049] The above control test results clearly show that the structure involved in this solution can provide a more stable modulation voltage for the load when the battery output voltage continues to drop. This stability is reflected in the small change in the TPM value during the puffing process, and also in the small difference in TPM between the first puff and the last puff. It can provide users who smoke electronic cigarettes with a more uniform taste and a better smoking experience.

[0050] The present application further includes a method for modulating an output voltage of an electronic cigarette. According to one embodiment, the electronic cigarette can detect the voltage output by its power supply, or report its voltage level to a control unit. Figure 5 Shown is a flow chart of an electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Step 501: Determine whether the power supply voltage is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage. When the power supply voltage is greater than or equal to the first threshold voltage, execute step 502. When the power supply voltage is less than the first threshold voltage, execute step 504. The first threshold voltage can be selected from 3.5V to 3.7V.

[0052] Step 502: Generate a first control signal so that the voltage provided to the load in a first time period is equal to the first modulation voltage. The first time period may be 0.5s, and of course may be set to other time periods as required. In some embodiments, the load includes the aforementioned atomization unit.

[0053] Step 503: After the first time period, the voltage provided to the load is made equal to the second modulation voltage.

[0054] Step 504: Determine whether the power supply voltage is greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage. When the power supply voltage is greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage, execute step 505. When the power supply voltage is less than the second threshold voltage, execute step 507. The second threshold voltage is selected from 3.3V to 3.5V.

[0055] Step 505: Generate a second control signal, and provide a voltage equal to the current power supply voltage to the load in the second time period. The second time period may be 0.5s, and of course may be set to other time periods as required.

[0056] Step 506: After the second time period, the voltage provided to the load is equal to the second modulation voltage.

[0057] Step 507: Generate a third control signal, and provide a voltage to the load that is equal to the current power supply voltage.

[0058] The first modulation voltage is selected between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage, and the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V.

[0059] Compared with the traditional method, the present application can obtain a stable voltage output during long-term use, and will not produce a significant voltage drop as the number of uses increases, so that the generated TPM is also more stable, and the taste of the user remains consistent.

[0060] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. Ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette, comprising: an atomization unit configured to heat the e-liquid; A power supply unit, coupled to the atomization unit, configured to supply power to the atomization unit, wherein the power supply voltage that can be output by the power supply unit decreases as the working time of the electronic cigarette increases; A detection unit, configured to detect the voltage or remaining power that can be output by the power supply unit; as well as Control unit, comprising: a switch module, coupled between the power supply unit and the atomization unit, and configured to control a voltage supplied to the atomization unit; a processing module, coupled to the switch module and the detection unit, configured to generate a control signal according to a detection result of the detection unit and control a state of the switch module based on the control signal; Wherein, the processing module is configured to generate a first control signal when the detection result is greater than or equal to a first threshold voltage; The first control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the first modulation voltage in a first time period, and controls the state of the switch module after the first time period so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the second modulation voltage until the power supply voltage is less than the first threshold voltage; wherein the second modulation voltage is less than the first modulation voltage; When the detection result is less than the first threshold voltage but greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage, generating a second control signal; The second control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit within a second time period, and controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the second modulation voltage after the second time period, until the power supply voltage is less than the second threshold voltage.

2. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein: The processing module is further configured to generate a third control signal when the detection result is less than the second threshold voltage; The third control signal controls the state of the switch module so that the voltage provided to the atomization unit is equal to the output voltage provided by the power supply unit.

3. The electronic cigarette according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold voltage is selected from 3.5V to 3.7V, and / or the second threshold voltage is selected from 3.25V to 3.5V.

4. The electronic cigarette according to claim 3, wherein the first modulation voltage is selected between a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, and / or the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V.

5. The electronic cigarette according to claim 2, wherein the first time period and / or the second time period is 0.5 s.

6. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit comprises: A voltage source to provide a power supply voltage; as well as A voltage stabilizing device is coupled between the power supply voltage and a ground level.

7. The electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the switch module comprises: A switch transistor has a first end coupled to the output end of the power supply unit, a second end coupled to the input end of the atomization unit, and a control end coupled to the output end of the processing module.

8. An electronic cigarette output voltage modulation method, comprising: When the current power supply voltage is greater than or equal to the first threshold voltage, a first control signal is generated so that the voltage provided to the load in a first time period is equal to the first modulation voltage, and the voltage provided to the load after the first time period is equal to the second modulation voltage; When the current power supply voltage is less than the first threshold voltage but greater than or equal to the second threshold voltage, a second control signal is generated to make the voltage supplied to the load equal to the current power supply voltage within a second time period, and to make the voltage supplied to the load equal to the second modulation voltage after the second time period; When the current power supply voltage is smaller than the second threshold voltage, a third control signal is generated to make the voltage provided to the load equal to the current power supply voltage. 9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first threshold voltage is selected from 3.5V to 3.7V, and / or the second threshold voltage is selected from 3.25V to 3.5V.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first modulation voltage is selected between a first threshold voltage and a second threshold voltage, and / or the second modulation voltage is selected between the second threshold voltage and 3.25V.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first time period and / or the second time period is 0.5 s.

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