Manufacturing scheme of eddy heating device, eddy heating device and electronic cigarette

Abstract

The application discloses a manufacturing method of an eddy current heating device, the eddy current heating device and an electronic cigarette. The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device comprises the following steps: obtaining a coil support; obtaining a mapping relationship between Rs of a conductive layer and a thickness of the conductive layer according to a preset frequency of an electric current required to pass through a target conductive layer and a preset material of the target conductive layer; determining a target thickness of the target conductive layer according to a target Rs of the target conductive layer and the mapping relationship; and forming the target conductive layer in a wire slot of the coil support according to the target thickness. The technical scheme of the application aims to provide a possibility that the target Rs of the manufactured eddy current heating device is relatively low, and the target thickness is not excessively thick.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic cigarettes, in particular to a manufacturing scheme of a vortex heating device, the vortex heating device and an electronic cigarette. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vortex heating device of the electronic cigarette comprises a coil support, and a wire slot of the coil support is provided with a conductive layer. It can be understood that the Rs of the conductive layer is related to the thickness of the conductive layer, and the thicker the thickness is, the lower the Rs is, and the better the heating effect of the vortex heating device is. However, the thicker the thickness is, the higher the cost of the vortex heating device is. SUMMARY

[0003] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a manufacturing method of a vortex heating device, which aims to provide the possibility of obtaining a target Rs of the vortex heating device and a target thickness that is not too thick.

[0004] The vortex heating device can obtain a lower Rs and the possibility of a thickness of the conductive layer that is not too thick.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the manufacturing method of the vortex heating device comprises the following steps:

[0006] obtaining a coil support;

[0007] obtaining a mapping relationship between the Rs of a conductive layer and the thickness of the conductive layer according to a preset frequency of an electric current required to pass through a target conductive layer and a preset material of the target conductive layer;

[0008] determining a target thickness of the target conductive layer according to a target Rs of the target conductive layer and the mapping relationship;

[0009] forming the target conductive layer in a wire slot of the coil support according to the target thickness.

[0010] Optionally, the step of obtaining the coil support comprises:

[0011] carving the wire slot on an outer surface of a support body by laser to obtain the coil support.

[0012] Optionally, the step of forming the target conductive layer in the wire slot of the coil support according to the target thickness comprises:

[0013] forming a first conductive layer in the wire slot by chemical plating;

[0014] forming a second conductive layer on a surface of the first conductive layer by electroplating, wherein the target conductive layer comprises the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

[0015] Optionally, the thickness of the first conductive layer ranges from 20 μm to 35 μm;

[0016] Optionally, the thickness of the target conductive layer ranges from 20 μm to 100 μm.

[0017] Optionally, after the step of forming the target conductive layer in the groove of the coil support according to the target thickness, the method further includes:

[0018] A protective layer is deposited on the surface of the target conductive layer.

[0019] Optionally, after the step of forming the target conductive layer in the groove of the coil support according to the target thickness, the method further includes:

[0020] Two FPCs are welded to the two ends of the target conductive layer by laser welding.

[0021] Optionally, the method for manufacturing the eddy current heating device further includes the following steps:

[0022] Obtain heating fixtures;

[0023] The heating fixture is fitted onto the coil support;

[0024] A high magnetic permeability material is placed between the heating fixture and the coil support.

[0025] Optionally, the heating fixture may be made of metal or plastic.

[0026] Optionally, the preset material is configured as gold, silver, copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, or an alloy;

[0027] Optionally, the coil support is made of one of PC, ABS, Nylon, and PEEK, or a mixture of one of PC, ABS, Nylon, or PEEK and GF.

[0028] The present invention also proposes an eddy current heating device, which is manufactured by the aforementioned method for manufacturing an eddy current heating device.

[0029] The present invention also proposes an electronic cigarette that includes the aforementioned eddy current heating device.

[0030] In the technical solution of the present invention, a coil support is obtained. Based on the preset frequency of the current to be passed through the target conductive layer and the preset material of the target conductive layer, the mapping relationship between the Rs of the conductive layer and the thickness of the conductive layer is obtained. The optimal solution of the target Rs and the target thickness can be found through the mapping relationship. In this way, it is possible to obtain an eddy current heating device with a lower target Rs and a target thickness that is not too thick. Based on the target Rs of the target conductive layer and the mapping relationship, the target thickness of the target conductive layer is determined. Based on the target thickness, the target conductive layer is formed in the wire groove of the coil support, thus obtaining the corresponding eddy current heating device. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a chart representing the mapping relationship when the preset material is aluminum.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a chart representing the mapping relationship when the preset material is copper.

[0035] Figure 4 A chart representing the mapping relationship when the preset material is silver;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a chart that simultaneously represents three mapping relationships when the preset materials are aluminum, copper, and silver.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the heating device of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an eddy current coil.

[0039] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0040] Reference Name Reference Name 100 Coil support 300 FPC 200 Target conductive layer

[0041] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean abutting; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0046] The eddy current heating device of an electronic cigarette includes a coil support. The coil support has a conductive layer in its grooves. It is understood that the resistance (Rs) of the conductive layer is related to its thickness; a thicker layer results in a lower Rs and better heating effect. However, a thicker layer increases the cost of the eddy current heating device. This invention proposes a method for manufacturing an eddy current heating device, aiming to provide a way to achieve a lower target Rs and a less excessive target thickness in the resulting eddy current heating device.

[0047] To facilitate understanding of this application, the principle of eddy current coils is explained herein, such as...Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the eddy current coil shown depicts Rs as the equivalent DC resistance, JXL as the heating coil reactance, ΔU as the voltage, and I0 as the circuit. The total impedance of the coil is Z0 = Rs + JXL. Under the influence of current, Rs generates heat like a resistor, but this heat is not the desired heating method for the product. JXL, on the other hand, generates eddy current heat, which is the desired heating method. Clearly, from the perspective of effective power, the smaller Rs and the larger JXL, the higher the effective power. However, Rs cannot decrease indefinitely, and JXL should not increase indefinitely either, because if JXL is too large, the power supply output power will be very low, ultimately affecting the eddy current heat generation of the coil. In reality, JXL is mainly affected by the coil dimensions, such as the number of turns, coil length, coil radius, and wire thickness. It can be seen that under real-world conditions, the range of JXL variation is limited, and the optimal choice for JXL is the maximum value within its dynamic range. Rs is mainly affected by the AC frequency, the resistivity of the conductive layer, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive layer. The higher the frequency, the larger Rs. The higher the resistivity, the larger Rs. The smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive layer, the larger Rs. The focus of this paper is how to obtain a smaller Rs at a certain frequency with the lowest possible cost. Obviously, resistivity is only related to material properties. Finally, we can obtain a smaller Rs by using a smaller cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area is positively correlated with the thickness of the conductive layer. That is, we can obtain a smaller Rs by using a smaller conductive layer thickness.

[0048] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 6 In one embodiment of the present invention, the manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device includes the following steps:

[0049] Step S100: Obtain the coil support 100. The coil support 100 is tubular. Without loss of generality, when the eddy current heating device is applied to electronic cigarettes, a heating element can be placed inside the coil support 100. The heating element can heat the e-cigarette cartridge. The outer circumferential surface of the coil support 100 is provided with a spiral groove arranged around the axis of the coil support 100. A target conductive layer 200 can be formed in the groove. When energized, the target conductive layer 200 can raise the temperature of the heating element.

[0050] Step S200: Based on the preset frequency of the current to be passed through the target conductive layer 200 and the preset material of the target conductive layer 200, the mapping relationship between the Rs of the conductive layer and the thickness of the conductive layer is obtained. The optimal solution for the target Rs and target thickness can be found through this mapping relationship, thus making it possible to produce an eddy current heating device with a lower target Rs and a less excessive target thickness. In one embodiment, the mapping relationship can be represented as a graph, specifically, as shown in... Figures 2-4 As shown, these represent the mapping relationships for aluminum, copper, and silver materials at the same preset frequency, respectively. Figure 5As shown in the diagram, the mapping relationship between aluminum, copper, and silver materials at the same preset frequency is presented in the same chart. It should be noted that... Figures 2-5 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents thickness, and the vertical axis represents Rs. It can be seen that the optimal target thickness is 60μm-80μm. Based on the manufacturing method of this eddy current heating device, when the preset frequency is 1MHz-10MHz, preferably 5MHz-8MHz, the theoretical optimal target thickness is 60μm-80μm; when the preset frequency is 50KHz-1MHz, preferably 100KHz-600KHz, the theoretical optimal target thickness is 100μm-200μm.

[0051] Step S300: Determine the target thickness of the target conductive layer 200 based on the target Rs and mapping relationship of the target conductive layer 200.

[0052] In step S400, a target conductive layer 200 is formed in the wire groove of the coil support 100 according to the target thickness, thereby obtaining the eddy current heating device.

[0053] Optionally, in one embodiment, step S100 includes: engraving grooves on the outer surface of the support body using a laser to obtain the coil support 100. This allows for a dimensional accuracy of the grooves of ±0.05mm, resulting in high dimensional accuracy of the target conductive layer 200 deposited on the grooves. Since the metal elements of the target conductive layer 200 are deposited along the grooves, and the dimensions of the grooves are precise, the dimensions of the target conductive layer 200 are also precise. This leads to smaller errors in the target conductive layer 200, more stable Ls and Rs parameters, and thus a higher yield rate for the eddy current heating device. It is worth mentioning that, specifically, in one embodiment, the material of the coil support 100 is plastic, and the wavelength of the laser can be selected from 1000nm to 1100nm to carve a groove with a depth of less than or equal to 0.03mm. It can be understood that if the groove depth is deeper, the laser power needs to be higher. Higher power can easily cause the coil support 100 to char and carbonize. When the groove depth does not exceed 0.03mm, the occurrence of charring and carbonization of the coil support 100 can be reduced.

[0054] However, this design is not limited to this. In other embodiments, grooves can be formed on the outer surface of the bracket body in other ways, which will not be elaborated here.

[0055] Optionally, in one embodiment, step S400 includes: forming a first conductive layer in a wire bath by chemical plating; and forming a second conductive layer on the surface of the first conductive layer by electroplating, wherein the target conductive layer 200 includes the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The thickness of the first conductive layer plus the thickness of the second conductive layer equals the thickness of the target conductive layer 200. The thickness of the first conductive layer formed by chemical plating should not be too thick. If the thickness of the first conductive layer is too thick, the density of the molecules in the first conductive layer will be problematic. Specifically, the density of the first conductive layer will gradually decrease in the direction away from the bottom of the wire bath, causing the surface of the first conductive layer to crack. In this solution, in addition to chemical plating, electroplating is also used to form the target conductive layer 200. Electroplating allows the target conductive layer 200 to be thickened further without cracking. Specifically, in one embodiment, copper ions can be used for the metal ions deposited by chemical plating. The thickness of the first conductive layer is in the range of 20μm-35μm, and after electroplating, the thickness of the target conductive layer 200 can reach 35μm-200μm.

[0056] It's worth noting that in traditional winding methods, the material of the conductor is fixed, generally pure copper or alloys. The elements and proportions of commonly available metals are also fixed, and changing these proportions requires significant time and cost. This solution, however, uses a combination of chemical plating and electroplating, allowing for the free selection of the desired metal elements, such as copper, silver, gold, nickel, platinum, and palladium, with adjustable proportions. Users can design with complete freedom based on the desired effect of the heating coil, greatly increasing the design flexibility. Furthermore, the combination of chemical plating and electroplating allows for a thinner target conductive layer 200, which is beneficial for miniaturizing the eddy current heating device.

[0057] Optionally, in one embodiment, the thickness of the first conductive layer is in the range of 20μm-35μm, so that the first conductive layer is not easy to crack.

[0058] Optionally, in one embodiment, the thickness of the target conductive layer 200 is in the range of 20μm-100μm, so that the target conductive layer 200 is not too thick, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the eddy current heating device.

[0059] Optionally, in one embodiment, after step S400, the method further includes depositing a protective layer on the surface of the target conductive layer 200. The target conductive layer 200 has high activity, and the protective layer prevents it from being oxidized by air. The protective layer may be made of an inert material, such as nickel.

[0060] Optionally, in one embodiment, after step S400, the method further includes: laser welding two FPC300s to both ends of the target conductive layer 200. It can be understood that the target conductive layer 200 is a coil, and laser welding two FPC300s to both ends of the target conductive layer 200 allows the target conductive layer 200 to be connected to the motherboard via the FPC300s. Laser welding can reduce the height of the solder joints between the FPC300 and the target conductive layer 200, and makes the solder joints smooth, flat, and free of protrusions.

[0061] Considering the principle of eddy current or hysteresis loss heating, there will be a large magnetic field inside and outside the coil. The magnetic field outside the coil can easily cause other objects to heat up. For safety reasons, in one embodiment, the manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device may optionally include the following steps: obtaining a heating fixture; fitting the heating fixture onto the coil support 100; and placing a high-permeability material between the heating fixture and the coil support 100. In this way, the high-permeability material can shield the magnetic field emitted outward from the target conductive layer 200, that is, shield the magnetic field emitted outward from the coil. When the heating fixture is made of metal, the temperature of the heating fixture itself can be effectively reduced, and the load on the coil can be reduced simultaneously, thus reducing energy consumption. It is worth mentioning that, after providing the possibility of a low Rs and a non-excessive thickness for the resulting eddy current heating device, the target thickness is not excessive, which also allows the eddy current heating device to be filled with a larger amount of high-permeability material, resulting in a better shielding effect.

[0062] Optionally, in one embodiment, the heating fixture is made of metal or plastic. Metal heating fixtures have higher structural strength and are more robust, and their metallic luster also improves the user's aesthetics. Plastic heating fixtures, on the other hand, are easier to process and have lower production costs.

[0063] Optionally, in one embodiment, the preset material configuration is gold, silver, copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, or an alloy, all of which have excellent electrical conductivity.

[0064] Optionally, in one embodiment, the coil support 100 is made of plastic, specifically, one of PC (Polycarbonate), ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a terpolymer of acrylonitrile (A), butadiene (B), and styrene (S) monomers), Nylon (Polyamide), PEEK (Poly-Ether-Eether-Ketone), or a mixture of one of PC, ABS, Nylon, or PEEK with GF (Glass Fiber). These materials can withstand high temperatures, specifically, temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius. In one embodiment, the coil support 100 may be made of PEEK, which has excellent high-temperature resistance. It is worth mentioning that after laser engraving, the groove walls of the coil support 100 are roughened to facilitate the adhesion of the conductive layer. Furthermore, the groove walls may even release spinel oxide as a substitute, for example, during electroless plating, the spinel oxide displaces copper ions. In addition, when the plastic coil support 100 is laser engraved, the laser spectrum used is more suitable, avoiding harm to the human body from X-rays and gamma rays. However, this design is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the coil support 100 can also be made of ceramic to allow the heating fixture to withstand higher temperatures.

[0065] The present invention also proposes an eddy current heating device, which is manufactured by the aforementioned method for manufacturing eddy current heating devices. Since this eddy current heating device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it possesses at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0066] The present invention also proposes an electronic cigarette, which includes the aforementioned vortex heating device. The specific structure of the vortex heating device is as described in the above embodiments. Since this electronic cigarette adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here. Specifically, the electronic cigarette includes an electronic cigarette body and a vortex heating device disposed on the electronic cigarette body.

[0067] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an eddy current heating device, characterized in that, The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device includes the following steps: A coil support is obtained by laser engraving grooves on the outer surface of the support body. Based on the preset frequency of the current that needs to pass through the target conductive layer and the preset material of the target conductive layer, the mapping relationship between the Rs of the conductive layer and the thickness of the conductive layer is obtained; The target thickness of the target conductive layer is determined based on the target Rs of the target conductive layer and the mapping relationship. According to the target thickness, the target conductive layer is formed in the wire groove of the coil support; wherein, the target conductive layer includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer is formed in the wire groove by chemical plating, and the second conductive layer is formed on the surface of the first conductive layer by electroplating.

2. The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the first conductive layer ranges from 20 μm to 35 μm; And / or, the thickness of the target conductive layer ranges from 20 μm to 100 μm.

3. The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the step of forming the target conductive layer in the wire groove of the coil support according to the target thickness, the method further includes: A protective layer is deposited on the surface of the target conductive layer.

4. The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the step of forming the target conductive layer in the wire groove of the coil support according to the target thickness, the method further includes: Two FPCs are welded to the two ends of the target conductive layer by laser welding.

5. The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The manufacturing method of the eddy current heating device further includes the following steps: Obtain heating fixtures; The heating fixture is fitted onto the coil support; A high magnetic permeability material is placed between the heating fixture and the coil support.

6. The method for manufacturing the eddy current heating device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The heating fixture is made of metal or plastic.

7. The method for manufacturing the eddy current heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The preset material configuration is gold, silver, copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, or an alloy; And / or, the coil support is made of one of PC, ABS, Nylon, PEEK, or a mixture of one of PC, ABS, Nylon, or PEEK and GF.

8. A eddy current heating device, characterized in that, The eddy current heating device is manufactured by the method of manufacturing an eddy current heating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An electronic cigarette, characterized in that, The electronic cigarette includes the eddy current heating device as described in claim 8.

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