Charging case and charging method for charging an electronic atomizer

Abstract

The application relates to a charging box and a charging method for charging an electronic atomizer. The charging box comprises a box body, a sliding rail assembly, a movable support and a locking assembly. The sliding rail assembly comprises a fixed part and a movable part. The fixed part is connected to the box body, and the movable part is movably connected to the fixed part. The movable support is connected to the movable part and can move along with the movable part relative to the fixed part in a sliding direction so that the charging cabin of the movable support is exposed to or accommodated in the box body. The locking assembly is arranged in the box body and is used for locking the movable support when the charging cabin is accommodated in the box body. Before or after charging, the movable support is pressed, and the locking assembly can release the movable support, so that the movable support can be pulled out of the box body to facilitate the electronic atomizer to be put into or taken out of the charging cabin, which facilitates the operation of the user and can effectively avoid the existing problems of the charging box, such as the easy damage of the rotating shaft, the easy loss of the box cover and the difficulty in taking and placing the electronic atomizer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic atomization technology, and in particular to a charging box and charging method for charging electronic atomizers. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic atomizers, also known as electronic cigarettes, are cigarette-like devices consisting of a battery, atomizing components, and cartridges. The atomizing components heat a liquid containing harmless ingredients to generate vapor for direct inhalation, satisfying smokers' desire for "healthy smoking" to some extent, resulting in significant market demand. As an electronic product, electronic atomizers require a power source for their components to function properly. Most use rechargeable lithium batteries as their power source, which are located inside the atomizer to provide power to the atomizer, circuit board, and other components.

[0003] However, due to the small size of e-cigarettes, their internal battery capacity is also limited. After a period of use, the battery will gradually run out of power, so a charging device is needed to recharge the e-cigarette battery when the power is low. To facilitate charging, many portable e-cigarette charging devices have appeared on the market, greatly improving the practicality of e-cigarettes. However, existing charging devices for e-cigarettes generally suffer from issues that negatively impact the user experience and make them inconvenient to use. Specifically: Firstly, some charging devices use a snap-on or hinged box structure. Due to the small size of these box structures, the hinge between the box and the lid is also small when the box structure is hinged. The hinge is easily damaged or even broken under external force. When the box structure is snap-on, the lid is prone to being lost, making opening and closing cumbersome. Secondly, some charging devices only use a spring at the bottom of the vapor chamber to pop out the vapor chamber. The pop-out stroke is limited, and the vapor chamber cannot be moved out of the box as a whole. With this structure, if there are foreign objects inside the charging device, they can easily jam the spring, preventing the vapor chamber from popping out and making it difficult to put the e-cigarette in or out. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to address the problems of inconvenient opening and closing of existing charging devices for charging e-atomizers, and the difficulty in removing and placing e-atomizers from the charging device due to the springs being easily jammed by foreign objects. The aim is to provide a charging box and charging method for charging e-atomizers, which solves the problems of inconvenient opening and closing of charging devices and difficulty in removing and placing e-atomizers.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a charging case for charging an electronic atomizer is provided, comprising:

[0006] Box body;

[0007] A slide rail assembly includes a fixed member and a movable member. The fixed member is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing. The movable member is movably connected to the fixed member and can reciprocate relative to the movable member along a sliding direction. The fixed member includes a fixing part, a connecting part, and a guide part formed by bending a flat plate. The fixing part is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the housing. The guide part is disposed along the sliding direction and offset from the fixed part in a height direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The connecting part connects the fixed part and the guide part. The movable member has a guide groove extending along the sliding direction. Different portions of the edge of the guide part along the sliding direction can be sequentially confined in the guide groove so that the movable member can reciprocate relative to the fixed member. The movable member includes a first movable part and a second movable part connected to each other. The first movable part is spaced apart from the fixed member and disposed parallel to it. The second movable part is formed by bending one end edge of the first movable part along the height direction. The guide groove is formed on the side of the second movable part facing the edge of the guide part.

[0008] A movable support has a charging compartment for accommodating an electronic atomizer. The movable support is connected to a movable member of the slide rail assembly and is capable of reciprocating along the sliding direction relative to the fixed member together with the movable member, so that the charging compartment is housed in the housing or exposed outside the housing.

[0009] A circuit board assembly, disposed within the charging chamber, is used for electrically connecting the electronic atomizer, and

[0010] A locking assembly is disposed within the housing, the locking assembly being used to lock the movable bracket when the charging compartment is housed within the housing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the slide rail assembly further includes a first elastic member, one end of which is connected to the fixed member and the other end of which is connected to the movable member. The first elastic member is capable of undergoing recoverable deformation when the charging compartment is exposed outside the housing, so that the movable bracket can be springed back into the housing and locked by the locking assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment, the dimension of the movable member along the sliding direction is smaller than the dimension of the fixed member along the sliding direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the movable support further has a battery compartment spaced apart from the charging compartment in the sliding direction, the battery compartment being disposed on the side of the charging compartment near the locking assembly, the battery compartment containing a battery electrically connected to the circuit board assembly.

[0014] In one embodiment, the movable support has a locking tongue, and the locking assembly has at least two opposing grippers, each of which is capable of approaching each other and undergoing recoverable deformation under external force to clamp the locking tongue, or moving away from each other to release the locking tongue when the external force is removed.

[0015] In one embodiment, the locking assembly further includes a fixed frame, a lock cylinder, and a second elastic member. The fixed frame has a first through groove penetrating the outer wall of the fixed frame. The lock cylinder is movably connected to the fixed frame through the second elastic member. The gripper is disposed on the lock cylinder and can be received in the fixed frame or ejected from the fixed frame. The second elastic member can be compressed when the gripper is received in the fixed frame, and has a first compression amount and a second compression amount, wherein the second compression amount is greater than the first compression amount.

[0016] When the second elastic member has the first compression amount, each of the gripper portions is received in the first through groove and abuts against the fixed frame, and each of the grippers is squeezed by the fixed frame to undergo a recoverable deformation so as to clamp the locking tongue;

[0017] When the second elastic element has the second compression amount, the gripper can be ejected outside the fixed frame under the action of the elastic force generated by the second elastic element to release the locking tongue.

[0018] In one embodiment, the charging case further includes a fixing bracket fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the case body. The fixing bracket has a receiving groove and a mounting position spaced apart from the receiving groove in a height direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The locking component is at least partially disposed in the mounting position. When the locking component locks the movable bracket, the movable bracket is partially received in the receiving groove.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a charging method for charging an electronic atomizer is provided, the charging method being implemented based on the charging case described above, the charging method comprising:

[0020] Press the movable bracket to release the locking assembly;

[0021] Pull the movable support out of the box and place the electronic atomizer into the charging chamber, so that the electronic atomizer is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly.

[0022] Push the movable bracket so that the locking assembly locks the movable bracket in place within the housing;

[0023] The electronic atomizer is charged.

[0024] In one embodiment, the step of pressing the movable bracket to release the locking assembly from the movable bracket includes:

[0025] Press the movable bracket to disengage the gripper from the fixed frame, thereby compressing the second elastic element to achieve a second compression amount.

[0026] Release the movable bracket, causing the gripper to pop out of the fixed frame and release the locking tongue.

[0027] In one embodiment, the step of pushing the movable bracket to lock the movable bracket in place within the housing includes:

[0028] Pushing the movable bracket causes the bolt to move the lock cylinder along the sliding direction, so that the second elastic element is compressed and has a first compression amount;

[0029] Release the movable bracket so that the gripper abuts against the fixed frame and clamps the locking tongue.

[0030] The above-mentioned charging case and charging method for charging electronic atomizers have the following technical advantages:

[0031] By incorporating a sliding rail assembly within the charging case, a charging chamber is housed within a movable support, and a circuit board assembly is located within the charging chamber. The movable support is connected to a movable component of the sliding rail assembly, resulting in a pull-out structure. This allows the movable support to reciprocate along a sliding direction relative to the fixed component of the sliding rail assembly, following the movement of the movable component. When charging the atomizer, the movable support can be pulled out to expose the charging chamber within the case. The atomizer can then be placed inside, and the movable support can be pushed back in to close the case, preventing dust or foreign objects from entering. Furthermore, a locking component within the case secures the movable support when the charging chamber is inside, preventing it from automatically ejecting during charging and ensuring safety. Furthermore, before or after charging, the user can press the movable bracket to release the locking component, allowing the movable bracket to be pulled out of the case for easy placement or removal of the e-atomizer into or from the charging chamber. This simplifies the user's operation and effectively avoids issues such as easily damaged hinges, lost lids, or difficulties in placing or removing the e-atomizer found in existing charging cases. Attached Figure Description

[0032] 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 one embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 An axonometric view of the charging case when closed, provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 An axonometric view of the charging case when it is opened, provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 An exploded view of the charging box provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the charging case when closed, provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the charging case when opened, provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 for Figure 4 Sectional view along the middle AA direction;

[0039] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Sectional view along the BB direction;

[0040] Figure 8 An axonometric view of a movable support provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 A front view of the slide rail assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the moving part is in the initial position;

[0042] Figure 10 A front view of the slide rail assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the moving part is at the end position;

[0043] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a portion of the slide rail assembly structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 12 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of region C in the middle;

[0045] Figure 13 for Figure 7 Enlarged schematic diagram of region D in the middle;

[0046] Figure 14An axonometric view of the locking assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the locking portion is located within the fixed frame;

[0047] Figure 15 A bearing view of the locking assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention when the latch is exposed outside the fixing frame;

[0048] Figure 16 Axonometric view of a fixing bracket provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 17 for Figure 4 Enlarged diagram of region E in the middle;

[0050] Figure 18 for Figure 5 A magnified diagram of region F in the middle.

[0051] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0052] 10. Charging box; 100. Box body; 110. First housing; 120. Second housing; 200. Slide rail assembly; 210. Fixing member; 211. Fixing part; 212. Connecting part; 213. Guide part; 220. Movable part; 221. First movable part; 222. Second movable part; 2221. Guide groove; 230. First elastic member; 300. Movable bracket; 301. Charging compartment; 302. Battery compartment; 303. Locking tongue; 304. Slide groove ; 400, Circuit board assembly; 410, Circuit board; 420, First socket; 430, Second socket; 500, Locking assembly; 510, Gripper; 520, Fixing frame; 521, First through slot; 522, Second through slot; 523, Spring; 530, Lock cylinder; 531, Lock block; 540, Second elastic element; 600, Battery; 700, Fixing bracket; 701, Receiving slot; 702, Mounting position; 703, Guide rail; 80, Electronic atomizer. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "level," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0056] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, 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.

[0057] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the liquid level of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the liquid level of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0058] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0059] One embodiment of the present invention provides a charging case and a charging method for charging an electronic atomizer. The charging case is used to store the electronic atomizer and to charge the electronic atomizer when its battery power is low. The charging method is implemented based on the charging case, so that users can conveniently put the electronic atomizer into the charging case for charging and conveniently remove the electronic atomizer after charging is completed.

[0060] The following description uses a charging case for charging an electronic atomizer as an example to illustrate the structure of the charging case and the steps of the charging method in this application. This embodiment is only used as an example and does not limit the technical scope of this application. It is understood that in other embodiments, the charging case and charging method of this application are not limited to charging electronic atomizers, but can also be used to charge other small electronic products, which is not limited here.

[0061] The following combination Figures 1 to 18 This application describes a preferred embodiment of the structure of the charging box and the steps of the charging method provided in this application.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a charging case 10 for charging an electronic atomizer includes a case body 100, a slide rail assembly 200, a movable bracket 300, a circuit board assembly 400, and a locking assembly 500. The housing 100 has an opening at one end along a sliding direction (X direction in the figure). The slide rail assembly 200, circuit board assembly 400, and locking assembly 500 are disposed inside the housing 100. The movable bracket 300 is movably connected to the slide rail assembly 200 and can move relative to the housing 100 along the sliding direction, so that it can partially extend out of the housing 100 or be completely contained within the housing 100 and close the opening of the housing 100. The circuit board assembly 400 is mounted on the movable bracket 300 and can move with the movable bracket 300. The movable bracket 300 is used to load the electronic atomizer 80. The circuit board assembly 400 is used to electrically connect the electronic atomizer 80 loaded in the movable bracket 300 so that the electronic atomizer 80 can be electrically connected to an external power source or battery for charging. The locking assembly 500 is used to lock and fix the movable bracket 300 when it is completely contained within the housing 100 to prevent the movable bracket 300 from moving randomly during charging.

[0063] In some embodiments, the housing 100 includes a first housing 110 and a second housing 120 detachably connected. The first housing 110 has an opening at one end in the sliding direction, and the second housing 120 has openings at both opposite ends in the sliding direction. When the two are assembled together, they form the housing 100. The first housing 110 closes one end opening of the second housing 120, and the other end opening of the second housing 120 forms the opening of the housing 100. A slide rail assembly 200 is fixedly mounted on the side wall of the second housing 120, and a locking assembly 500 is fixedly mated to the side wall of the first housing 110 opposite to the opening of the housing 100, and is located at one end of the slide rail assembly 200 in the sliding direction.

[0064] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the movable support 300 has a charging chamber 301 for mounting the electronic atomizer 80. In the height direction perpendicular to the sliding direction (Y direction in the figure), the charging chamber 301 has openings at opposite ends. The circuit board assembly 400 is disposed in the charging chamber 301 and closes the lower opening of the charging chamber 301 as shown in the figure. Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the circuit board assembly 400 includes a circuit board 410 and a first socket 420 and a second socket 430 disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board 410 along its height direction. The first socket 420 and the second socket 430 are electrically connected to each other through the circuit board 410. The first socket 420 is located on the side of the circuit board 410 away from the charging chamber 301 (i.e., the lower side shown in the figure), and the second socket 430 is located on the side of the circuit board 410 facing the charging chamber 301 (i.e., the upper side shown in the figure). The first socket 420 is used to connect to an external power source, and the second socket 430 is used to connect to an electronic atomizer 80, enabling the electronic atomizer 80 to be connected to an external power source for charging. The first socket 420 and the second socket 430 can be USB ports, Type-C ports, etc., and are not specifically limited.

[0065] For a better option, please continue reading. Figure 3 and Figure 8The movable support 300 also has a battery compartment 302 spaced apart from the charging chamber 301 in the sliding direction. The battery compartment 302 is located on the side of the charging chamber 301 near the locking component 500. The battery compartment 302 contains a battery 600, which is electrically connected to the circuit board 410. This allows the electronic atomizer 80 to be charged when the charging box 10 is connected to an external power source, and also allows the charging box 10 to charge the electronic atomizer 80 using the battery 600 inside the charging box 10 when it is not connected to an external power source (e.g., when people take the charging box 10 out). Furthermore, the charging box 10 can charge the battery 600 inside the charging box 10 even when it is not equipped with an electronic atomizer 80. This allows the charging box 10 provided by this application to be used in multiple scenarios, enabling users to perform multiple cycles of repeated vaping of the electronic atomizer 80, thus facilitating the use of the electronic atomizer 80.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the slide rail assembly 200 includes a fixed member 210 and a movable member 220. The fixed member 210 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the second housing 100, and the movable member 220 is movably connected to the fixed member 210 and can be in an initial position relative to the fixed member 210 along the sliding direction (e.g., ...). Figure 9 The position of the moving part 200) and the endpoint position (such as Figure 10 The movable component 200 moves back and forth between its position and the position of the movable component 220. The movable bracket 300 is fixedly connected to the movable component 220 and can move together with the movable component 220. This allows the movable component 220 of the slide rail assembly 200 to be fully exposed in the box 100 when the movable component 220 is at its end position, so that the user can put the electronic atomizer 80 into the charging box 301. Alternatively, when the movable component 220 of the slide rail assembly 200 is in its initial position, the charging box 301 is fully contained in the box 100, and the movable bracket 300 is locked and fixed in the box 100 by the locking component 500. This prevents the movable bracket 300 from moving randomly during charging, which could cause the electronic atomizer 80 to fall out of the charging box 301. It also prevents dust from falling into the charging box 301 during charging or when charging is not needed, thereby preventing dust from clogging the second interface in the charging box 301 and thus preventing poor contact between the electrode of the electronic atomizer 80 and the second socket 430. Preferably, the size of the movable part 220 in the sliding direction is smaller than that of the fixed part 210 in the sliding direction. When the movable part 220 moves to the end position, one edge of the movable part 220 in the sliding direction coincides with one edge of the fixed part 210 in the sliding direction. This ensures that the movable part 220 will not be exposed in the opening of the box 100 when it moves to the end position, and thus will not occupy space.

[0067] In one implementation, such as Figure 11 As shown, the fixing member 210 includes a fixing part 211, a connecting part 212, and a guide part 213 arranged sequentially in the height direction. The fixing part 211, the connecting part 212, and the guide part 213 are formed by bending a flat plate, such that the fixing part 211 and the guide part 213 are staggered in the height direction, and the guide part 213 extends along the sliding direction. The fixing part 211 and the guide part 213 are connected to each other through the connecting part 212. Corresponding to the guide part 213, the movable member 220 has a guide groove 2221 extending along the sliding direction. Different parts of the edge of the guide part 213 along the sliding direction can be sequentially confined in the guide groove 2221, so that the movable member 220 can reciprocate relative to the fixing member 210.

[0068] More preferably, the movable part 220 includes a first movable part 221 and a second movable part 222 that are connected to each other in the height direction. The first movable part 221 and the second movable part 222 are also formed by bending a flat plate. The first movable part 221 and the fixing member 210 are spaced apart and parallel to each other in the width direction (Z direction in the figure) which is perpendicular to both the sliding direction and the height direction. The second movable part 222 is bent from one end edge of the first movable part 221 in the height direction toward the fixing member. The guide groove 2221 is formed on the side of the second movable part 222 facing the edge of the guide part 213.

[0069] Alternatively, in one embodiment, the movable part 220 is manufactured using a high-precision stamping and integral injection molding process. Specifically, the first movable part 221 includes a shell (not shown) and a core (not shown). The shell has a hollow cavity, the core is filled in the hollow cavity, and the second movable part 222 is integrally formed with the core and bent from one end edge of the core in the height direction. In one embodiment, the shell is made of stainless steel and manufactured using a high-precision stamping process, while the core and the second movable part 222 are made of wear-resistant plastic, making the movable part 220 thinner and lighter, reducing manufacturing costs, and making the movable part 220 more durable.

[0070] Thus, through the above design, the dimension of the slide rail assembly 200 in the width direction is much smaller than that of the box body 100 in the width direction. This allows the movable support 300 to slide smoothly under the guidance of the slide rail assembly 200 when it moves along the sliding direction. It also allows the box body 100 to still have enough space to accommodate the battery 600 and the electronic atomizer 80 without increasing the volume of the box body 100. This makes the charging box 10 provided in this application compact and portable.

[0071] Furthermore, combined Figures 9 to 11As shown, the fixing part 211 has two guide parts 213 and two connecting parts 212. The two guide parts 213 are located on the same plane and are spaced apart at opposite ends of the fixing part 211 in the height direction. Each guide part 213 is offset from the fixing part 211 in the height direction. Each connecting part 212 connects the fixing part 211 and a corresponding guide part 213. Correspondingly, the movable part 220 also has two second movable parts 222. The two second movable parts 222 are spaced apart and symmetrically located at opposite ends of the first movable part 221 in the height direction. Each second movable part 222 has a guide groove 2221. Each second movable part 222 is movably connected to a corresponding guide part 213, that is, each guide part 213 is partially confined in the guide groove 2221 of the corresponding second movable part 222.

[0072] Thus, by movably connecting the two ends of the movable member 220 in the height direction to the two ends of the fixed member 210 in the height direction, the movable member 220 can move more smoothly relative to the fixed member 210.

[0073] For a better implementation, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 9 and Figure 10 The slide rail assembly 200 also includes a first elastic element 230, one end of which is connected to the fixed element 210 and the other end to the movable element 220. The first elastic element 230 is capable of recoverable deformation when the charging compartment 301 is exposed outside the housing 100. Preferably, the first elastic element 230 is a long, flexible spring, and the radius of the arc formed when the spring is bent is variable. Thus, when the movable part 220 is in the initial position (i.e., the movable bracket 300 is inside the box 100 and locked by the locking assembly 500), the arc formed by the first elastic member 230 has a small first arc radius; when the movable part 220 moves relative to the fixed part 210 to the end position (i.e., the charging compartment 301 is outside the box 100), the first elastic member 230 deforms, and the arc formed has a large second arc radius, so that when the movable part 220 and the movable bracket 300 move together to the end position, they can be bounced back into the box 100 and locked by the locking assembly 500 under the action of the elastic force generated by the first elastic member 230. This allows the movable bracket 300 to automatically close the opening of the box 100 after the user places the electronic atomizer 80 into the charging chamber 301, making the user's operation more convenient. Furthermore, by setting the first elastic element 230 and configuring the first elastic element 230 as a flexible strip structure, the movable element 220 can automatically spring the movable bracket 300 back into the box 100 even with a large stroke.

[0074] It is understandable that the stroke of the movable part 220 in the slide rail assembly 200 depends on the dimensions of the fixed part 210 and the movable part 220 in the sliding direction. When the dimension of the fixed part 210 in the sliding direction is larger and the ratio of the dimensions of the movable part 220 and the fixed part 210 in the sliding direction is smaller, the movable bracket 300 can have a longer stroke. The length of the first elastic member 230 depends on the stroke of the movable bracket 300. When the first elastic member 230 has a longer length, it can be adapted to a slide rail assembly 200 with a longer stroke. The number of first elastic members 230 is not limited. It can be one, two as shown in the figure, or multiple, and can be set as needed.

[0075] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the movable bracket 300 has a locking tongue 303 at one end near the locking assembly 500 in the sliding direction; the locking assembly 500 has at least two grippers 510. When the locking assembly 500 has two grippers 510 as shown in the figure, the two grippers 510 are arranged relatively at intervals and can move closer or further away from each other. When the lock cylinder 530 has multiple grippers 510, the multiple grippers 510 can move closer or further away from each other at the same time so as to clamp the locking tongue 303 or release the locking tongue 303, thereby achieving the purpose of locking the movable bracket 300 or releasing the movable bracket 300.

[0076] Specifically, in one embodiment, such as Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the locking assembly 500 also includes a fixed frame 520, a lock cylinder 530, and a second elastic member 540. The lock cylinder 530 is movably connected to the fixed frame 520 via the second elastic member 540 and can move relative to the fixed frame 520 in the sliding direction. The fixed frame 520 has an opening at one end near the latch 303 in the sliding direction, and a first through groove 521 penetrating the outer wall of the fixed frame 520 is provided on its side wall. The gripper 510 is integrally connected to the lock cylinder 530 and can be received in the fixed frame 520 as the lock cylinder 530 moves relative to the fixed frame 520. Figure 14(Only the gripper 510 is partially received within the fixing frame 520) or ejected from the fixing frame 520. The second elastic member 540 is configured to be compressed when the gripper 510 is received within the fixing frame 520 to provide an elastic force that ejects the gripper 510 from the fixing frame 520. In one embodiment, the second elastic member 540 may be a spring, and the second elastic member 540 has a first compression amount and a second compression amount when the gripper 510 is received within the fixing frame 520, wherein the second compression amount is greater than the first compression amount. When the second elastic member 540 is compressed to have the first compression amount, each gripper 510 is partially received in the first through slot 521 and held against the fixing frame 520. For example, in one embodiment, the fixing frame 520 has a spring piece 523 provided on the side wall of the first through groove 521, and the side wall of the gripper 510 has a slot (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the spring piece 523. One end of the spring piece 523 can abut in the slot, so that each gripper 510 is squeezed by the spring piece 523 and undergoes a recoverable deformation, and moves toward the gripper 510 opposite to it, so as to clamp the latch 303. When the second elastic member 540 is further compressed to a second compression amount, each gripper 510 is further squeezed by the spring piece 523 and is completely located in the receiving space formed by the two opposite inner side walls of the fixing frame 520, and can be ejected outside the fixing frame 520 under the action of the elastic force generated by the second elastic member 540. At this time, each gripper 510 moves away from the gripper 510 opposite to it and returns to the initial state to release the latch 303.

[0077] Preferably, the fixed frame 520 has a second through groove 522 extending through the top wall of the fixed frame 520 along the height direction, and the lock cylinder 530 has a locking block 531 on the top wall along the height direction. The locking block 531 passes through the second through groove 522. When the gripper 510 pops out of the fixed frame 520, the locking block 531 can just abut against the side wall of the second through groove 522, thereby preventing the gripper 510 from losing support and drooping after popping out of the fixed frame 520. This avoids the locking gap formed by the locking tongue 303 of the movable bracket 300 being difficult to extend into the two or more grippers 510 when it needs to be locked by the gripper 510 next time.

[0078] Thus, through the above design, when the user pulls the movable bracket 300 out of the box 100, they only need to press the movable bracket 300 in the sliding direction toward the inside of the box 100, so that the locking tongue 303 of the movable bracket 300 pushes the locking cylinder 530 to move. When the second elastic member 540 has a second compression amount, an elastic force can be generated to pop part of the movable bracket 300 out of the box 100. At this time, the gripper 510 will also release the locking tongue 303, so that the user can unlock the locking component 500 with one hand and pull the movable component outward toward the direction away from the inside of the box 100 so that the charging case 301 is exposed outside the box 100. There is no need for complicated and cumbersome operation, which conforms to ergonomics and greatly improves the user's experience when using the product. It can effectively avoid the problems of easy damage to the hinge, easy loss of the lid, or difficulty in taking out and putting in the electronic atomizer 80 that exist in the existing charging case 10. Furthermore, both the slide rail assembly 200 and the locking assembly 500 are modular components, which simplify product assembly and effectively improve the production qualification rate and reduce labor costs during assembly.

[0079] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 16 As shown, the charging case 10 also includes a fixed bracket 700, which is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the first box body 100. The fixed bracket 700 has a receiving groove 701 on the side near the movable bracket 300 along the sliding direction, and a mounting position 702 spaced apart from the receiving groove 701 at its end along the height direction. The mounting position 702 is used to install the locking component 500, which is partially or completely contained in the receiving groove 701. When the movable bracket 300 is contained in the box body 100 and locked by the locking component 500, the fixed bracket 700 and part of the battery 600 can be contained in the receiving groove 701, thereby making the structure of the charging case 10 more compact and space-saving. Preferably, the number of mounting positions 702 is not limited, and there can be two as shown in the figure. The two mounting positions 702 are set at opposite ends of the fixed bracket 700 in the height direction, that is, the receiving groove 701 is located between the two mounting positions 702. Correspondingly, the locking assembly 500 and the locking tongue 303 on the movable bracket 300 also have two each. Each locking assembly 500 is installed in a corresponding mounting position 702. Thus, by setting two locking assemblies 500, the movable bracket 300 can be locked and fixed more firmly when it is housed in the box 100.

[0080] As a further improvement, such as Figures 16 to 18As shown, the fixed bracket 700 also has a guide rail 703 extending in the sliding direction at its bottom along the height direction (i.e., the lower end shown in the figure). Correspondingly, the movable bracket 300 has a slide groove 304 extending in the sliding direction, and the guide rail 703 can be partially or completely confined in the slide groove 304, so that the movable bracket 300 can move more smoothly under the dual guidance of the slide rail assembly 200 and the slide groove 304 when moving relative to the housing 100.

[0081] The following combination Figures 1 to 15 The steps of the charging method for charging the electronic atomizer 80 provided in this application are described below:

[0082] S1. Press the movable bracket 300 to release the locking assembly 500 from the movable bracket 300. Specifically, in this step, firstly, the movable bracket 300 is in the housing 100 and in its initial position. Pressing the movable bracket 300 causes the latch 303 on the movable bracket 300 to push the lock cylinder 530 along the sliding direction toward the locking assembly 500 and compress the second elastic member 540, so that the second elastic member 540 has a second compression amount. At this time, the gripper 510 is still housed in the fixed frame 520. Then, the movable bracket 300 is released, so that the gripper 510 pops out of the fixed frame 520 under the action of the elastic force generated by the second elastic member 540. At this time, the gripper 510 is no longer subject to the resistance force of the fixed frame 520, so that they move away from each other and release the latch 303, so that the locking assembly 500 releases the movable bracket 300.

[0083] S2. Pull the movable support 300 out of the housing 100 and place the electronic atomizer 80 into the charging chamber 301, so that the electronic atomizer 80 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 400. Specifically, in this step, the movable support 300 is released by the locking assembly 500, and the movable support 300 can move freely along the sliding direction under the guidance of the slide rail assembly 200. Pull the movable support 300 out of the housing 100 to the end position (i.e., pulled to the maximum stroke). At this time, the charging chamber 301 of the movable support 300 is completely exposed outside the housing 100, and the first elastic element 230 of the slide rail assembly 200 undergoes a recoverable deformation. Place the electronic atomizer 80 into the charging chamber 301 and plug it into the second socket 430 of the circuit board assembly 400, so that the electronic atomizer 80 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 400.

[0084] S3. Close the housing 100 and lock the movable bracket 300 securely within the housing 100. Since the first elastic element 230 underwent a recoverable deformation in the previous step, in this step, firstly, the movable bracket 300 is released. Under the elastic force generated by the first elastic element 230, the movable bracket 300 is springed back into the housing 100 along the sliding direction, closing the opening of the housing 100. Then, the movable bracket 300 is pushed, and the locking tongue 303 pushes the lock cylinder 530 and the gripper 510 together to move along the sliding direction, so that the lock cylinder 530 and the gripper 510 are housed together within the fixed frame 520. The second elastic element 540 is compressed again to have the first compression amount. Then, the movable bracket 300 is released again, and the gripper 510 is partially received in the first through slot 521 and held still by the fixed frame 520. At this time, each gripper 510 is squeezed by the fixed frame 520 and undergoes a recoverable deformation, and moves toward the gripper 510 opposite to it to clamp the locking tongue 303.

[0085] S4. Charge the electronic atomizer 80. In this step, a data cable with a plug can be used to connect to the first port 420 of the circuit board assembly 400 to electrically connect the electronic atomizer 80 to an external power source for charging. Alternatively, when people are out and about, the electronic atomizer 80 can be electrically connected to the battery 600 built into the charging case 10, and the battery 600 can charge the electronic atomizer 80. The specific method is not limited.

[0086] Finally, it should be noted that the technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments have been described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0087] The above-described embodiments are merely one implementation of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A charging case for charging an electronic atomizer, characterized in that, include: Box body; A slide rail assembly includes a fixed member and a movable member. The fixed member is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing. The movable member is movably connected to the fixed member and can reciprocate relative to the movable member along a sliding direction. The fixed member includes a fixing part, a connecting part, and a guide part formed by bending a flat plate. The fixing part is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the housing. The guide part is disposed along the sliding direction and offset from the fixed part in a height direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The connecting part connects the fixed part and the guide part. The movable member has a guide groove extending along the sliding direction. Different portions of the edge of the guide part along the sliding direction can be sequentially confined in the guide groove so that the movable member can reciprocate relative to the fixed member. The movable member includes a first movable part and a second movable part connected to each other. The first movable part is spaced apart from the fixed member and disposed parallel to it. The second movable part is formed by bending one end edge of the first movable part along the height direction. The guide groove is formed on the side of the second movable part facing the edge of the guide part. A movable support has a charging compartment for accommodating an electronic atomizer. The movable support is connected to a movable member of the slide rail assembly and is capable of reciprocating along the sliding direction relative to the fixed member together with the movable member, so that the charging compartment is housed in the housing or exposed outside the housing. A circuit board assembly, disposed within the charging chamber, is used for electrically connecting the electronic atomizer, and A locking assembly is disposed within the housing, the locking assembly being used to lock the movable bracket when the charging compartment is housed within the housing; The slide rail assembly further includes a first elastic member, one end of which is connected to the fixed member and the other end of which is connected to the movable member. The first elastic member is capable of undergoing recoverable deformation when the charging compartment is exposed outside the box, so that the movable bracket can be springed back into the box and locked by the locking assembly.

2. The charging case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first elastic element is a long, flexible spring, and the radius of the arc formed when the spring is bent is variable; When the movable bracket is located inside the box and locked by the locking assembly, the arc formed by the first elastic element has a smaller first arc radius; when the charging compartment is located outside the box, the arc formed by the first elastic element has a larger second arc radius.

3. The charging case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimension of the movable component along the sliding direction is smaller than the dimension of the fixed component along the sliding direction.

4. The charging case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable support also has a battery compartment spaced apart from the charging compartment in the sliding direction. The battery compartment is located on the side of the charging compartment near the locking assembly, and a battery is loaded in the battery compartment and electrically connected to the circuit board assembly.

5. The charging case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable bracket has a locking tongue, and the locking assembly has at least two opposing jaws, each of which can move closer to each other and undergo recoverable deformation under external force to clamp the locking tongue, or move away from each other to release the locking tongue when the external force is removed.

6. The charging case according to claim 5, characterized in that, The locking assembly further includes a fixed frame, a lock cylinder, and a second elastic element. The fixed frame has a first through groove that penetrates the outer wall of the fixed frame. The lock cylinder is movably connected to the fixed frame through the second elastic element. The gripper is disposed on the lock cylinder and can be received in the fixed frame or ejected from the fixed frame. The second elastic element can be compressed when the gripper is received in the fixed frame, and has a first compression amount and a second compression amount, wherein the second compression amount is greater than the first compression amount. When the second elastic member has the first compression amount, each of the gripper portions is received in the first through groove and abuts against the fixed frame, and each of the grippers is squeezed by the fixed frame to undergo a recoverable deformation so as to clamp the locking tongue; When the second elastic element has the second compression amount, the gripper can be ejected outside the fixed frame under the action of the elastic force generated by the second elastic element to release the locking tongue.

7. The charging case according to claim 1, characterized in that, The charging box also includes a fixed bracket, which is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the box body. The fixed bracket has a receiving groove and a mounting position spaced apart from the receiving groove in the height direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. The locking component is at least partially disposed in the mounting position. When the locking component locks the movable bracket, the movable bracket is partially received in the receiving groove.

8. A charging method for charging an electronic atomizer, characterized in that, The charging method is implemented based on the charging box as described in any one of claims 1-7, and the charging method includes: Press the movable bracket to release the locking assembly; Pull the movable support out of the box and place the electronic atomizer into the charging chamber, so that the electronic atomizer is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly. Close the box and lock the movable bracket inside the box. The electronic atomizer is charged.

9. The charging method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of pressing the movable bracket to release the locking assembly includes: Pressing the movable bracket compresses the second elastic element to a second compression amount and disengages the gripper from the fixed frame. Release the movable bracket, causing the gripper to pop out of the fixed frame and release the locking tongue.

10. The charging method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of closing the box and locking the movable bracket in the box includes: Release the movable support, causing it to spring back into the box and close the box. Pushing the movable bracket causes the bolt to move the lock cylinder along the sliding direction, so that the second elastic element is compressed to have a first compression amount; Release the movable bracket again, so that the gripper abuts against the fixed frame and clamps the locking tongue.

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