Integrated intelligent module for electronic cigarette control system and electronic cigarette control system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electronic cigarette control systems and the like, and provides an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system and the electronic cigarette control system.The integrated intelligent module is provided with a printed circuit board substrate, an SOC chip, an airflow sensor, a hollow metal shell and an oil-proof net, and a PCB bonding pad is arranged at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate and connected with a printed circuit board; the SOC chip and the air flow sensor are connected with the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding bonding pad arranged at the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate, the hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate so as to shield external interference of the SOC chip, the air flow sensor and routing on the printed circuit board substrate, and the oil-proof net is attached to the hollow metal shell so as to prevent the oil-proof net from leaking out of the printed circuit board substrate. The electronic cigarette control system is used for preventing external tobacco tar or smoke from entering a cavity between the hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through air holes in the hollow metal shell, so that the integration level, consistency and structural stability of the electronic cigarette control system are improved, tobacco tar corrosion is avoided, and the cost of the electronic cigarette control system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical fields of electronic cigarettes, electronic cigarette control systems, and in particular to an integrated intelligent module and an electronic cigarette control system for an electronic cigarette control system. Background Art

[0002] In order to realize the product functions of electronic cigarettes, the current electronic cigarette control scheme generally adopts a combination of four electronic materials with different functions to realize the control functions of electronic cigarettes, including MCU, airflow sensor, charging management chip, and MOSFET. The core working principle is: 1) Use the charging management chip to manage the charging of the energy storage battery in the electronic cigarette; 2) The airflow sensor collects the current user's puffing status, and gives a high-level signal to the MCU when the electronic cigarette produces a puffing action; 3) After the MCU receives the smoking signal transmitted from the airflow sensor, it performs a self-test on the electronic cigarette device. After confirming that the device is normal, it turns on the MOSFET to power the heating wire for heating; 4) The MCU collects the current smoking status, charging status and other states of the device, and displays the device status through interactive devices such as LED, digital tube, and TFT; the electronic cigarette control system implemented in this way is a traditional electrical control system, and each electronic component can only realize a single function. This type of electronic cigarette control scheme is also called a discrete scheme. The disadvantage of the discrete solution is that the electronic components combined into the control solution can only realize a single function, and need to cooperate with other electronic components to realize the electronic cigarette control function. The PCBA area occupied by the combination of electronic components is large. It is often difficult to realize the PCB Layout design for the increasingly streamlined and compact electronic cigarette structure. Even if the PCB Layout design can be completed, the compact layout has higher requirements for production and manufacturing, and the reliability risk is increased. In addition to the traditional discrete solution to realize the electronic cigarette control system, there is currently a technical route to realize the electronic cigarette control system using a customized SOC method, which is characterized in that the customized SOC integrates the electronic components required for two or more discrete solutions into one chip, reducing the electronic materials and PCB Layout area required for the electronic cigarette control system hardware. The types of customized SOC integration include: 1) MCU+MOSFET two-in-one; 2) MCU+charging management two-in-one; 3) MCU+MOSFET+charging management three-in-one; 4) MCU+MOSFET+charging management+microphone detection function. The existing SOCs have varying degrees of integration, which to a certain extent does help solve the problem of small area requirements for electronic control solutions for electronic cigarette control systems by using an integrated approach. However, the most important airflow sensor part of the electronic cigarette control system is still implemented using an external single airflow sensor device. Even if some SOCs have built-in microphone detection functions, when this function is needed, an external two-pin airflow sensor is still required. This type of two-pin airflow sensor is a passive sensor with analog output, and its cost is lower than that of a conventional three-pin active sensor with switch output. However, since this type of sensor is an analog output, it is greatly affected by the PCB layout. Improper design may lead to product problems in verification and even threaten user safety. Therefore, the existing SOC solutions are not highly integrated and cannot fully integrate the four basic and most important functional modules of the electronic cigarette control system.

[0003] In summary, in the existing electronic cigarette control systems, the SOC solution has low integration, is difficult to design, has high cost, and has poor reliability. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an integrated intelligent module and an electronic cigarette control system for an electronic cigarette control system, so as to improve the integration, consistency and structural stability of the system, avoid corrosion by cigarette oil, and reduce system costs.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system, comprising:

[0006] A printed circuit board substrate, wherein a PCB pad is provided at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate, and the PCB pad is used to connect to the printed circuit board;

[0007] A SOC chip, wherein the SOC chip is arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding pad arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate;

[0008] An airflow sensor, wherein the airflow sensor is disposed on the upper portion of the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding pad disposed on the upper portion of the printed circuit board substrate;

[0009] An inner hollow metal shell, wherein the inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the bonding wires on the printed circuit board substrate;

[0010] The oil-proof net is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the air holes on the inner hollow metal shell.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette control system, which uses the above-mentioned integrated intelligent module for electronic cigarette control systems.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The present invention provides an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system and an electronic cigarette control system. A printed circuit board substrate, a SOC chip, an airflow sensor, an inner hollow metal shell and an oil-proof net are provided. A PCB pad is provided at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate, and the PCB pad is used to connect with the printed circuit board. The SOC chip is provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding pad provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate. The airflow sensor is provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process. The bonding pads arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate are connected to the printed circuit board substrate, the inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the bonding wires on the printed circuit board substrate, and the oil-proof net is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the air holes on the inner hollow metal shell, thereby improving the integration, consistency and structural stability of the electronic cigarette control system, avoiding smoke oil corrosion, and reducing the cost of the electronic cigarette control system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their description are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. Some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-restrictive manner with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 It is an exploded schematic diagram of an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an assembly of an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a top view of the structure of an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system after being assembled according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Description of reference numerals:

[0019] 1. Printed circuit board substrate;

[0020] 2. SOC chip;

[0021] 3. Airflow sensor;

[0022] 4. Hollow metal shell;

[0023] 5. Oil-proof net. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is only an embodiment of a part of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Embodiment 1

[0026] See also Figure 1-Figure 3 This embodiment provides an integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system, including:

[0027] A printed circuit board substrate 1, wherein a PCB pad is provided at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate, and the PCB pad is used to connect to the printed circuit board;

[0028] SOC chip 2, the SOC chip is arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding pad arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate;

[0029] An airflow sensor 3, which is arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding pad arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate;

[0030] An inner hollow metal shell 4, wherein the inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the bonding wires on the printed circuit board substrate;

[0031] The oil-proof net 5 is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the air holes on the inner hollow metal shell.

[0032] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, a printed circuit board substrate, a SOC chip, an airflow sensor, an inner hollow metal shell and an oil-proof net are provided, a PCB pad is provided at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate, and the PCB pad is used to connect to the printed circuit board. The SOC chip is provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding pad provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate. The airflow sensor is provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding pad provided on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate. The inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the wire bonding on the printed circuit board substrate. The oil-proof net is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the pores on the inner hollow metal shell, thereby improving the integration, consistency and structural stability of the electronic cigarette control system, avoiding smoke oil corrosion, and reducing the cost of the electronic cigarette control system. This embodiment combines the five key components of the printed circuit board substrate, SOC chip, airflow sensor, hollow metal shell and oil-proof net into one with a clear space and connection relationship, which fully covers the charging management, suction detection, power drive and environmental protection functions required by the electronic cigarette control system. By using the Bonding process to lay out the SOC chip and airflow sensor on the same substrate, supplemented by a metal shielding cavity and an oil-proof net, the technical problems of the traditional discrete solution, such as large PCB area, complex wiring, and airflow detection being susceptible to oil mist contamination, can be solved at one time, achieving a comprehensive technical effect of reducing area and improving reliability.

[0033] In some preferred embodiments, the SOC chip integrates a microcontroller unit MCU, a power tube MOSFET, and a battery charging management unit; the microcontroller unit MCU is connected to the airflow sensor to detect the puffing action. The SOC chip integrates a microcontroller unit MCU, a MOSFET, and a charging management unit, and the microcontroller unit MCU is directly electrically connected to the airflow sensor for detecting the puffing action, ensuring that the four core functions of the electronic cigarette control system are integrated at the chip level, completely getting rid of the shortcomings of the existing two-in-one or three-in-one SOC that still requires external sensors or drive devices; on the other hand, through the tight coupling of the microcontroller unit MCU and the airflow sensor, the analog quantity sampling path is shortened to the shortest, reducing the noise caused by the wiring capacitance and inductive coupling, and improving the accuracy of puff recognition and the startup response speed.

[0034] In some preferred embodiments, the top of the hollow metal shell is provided with a Z-shaped opening path that matches the air inlet hole of the air flow sensor to prevent excessive air pressure. When the top of the hollow metal shell adopts a Z-shaped opening path that matches the air inlet hole of the air flow sensor, the bending of the Z-shaped opening path can effectively weaken the direct impact of the external instantaneous negative pressure on the sensor diaphragm, prevent sensitivity drift or device damage caused by excessive high pressure difference; at the same time, it can reduce the probability of condensed smoke entering the shell along the straight-through channel, extend the life of the sensor, and enhance the mechanical and environmental reliability of the air flow detection subsystem.

[0035] In some preferred embodiments, the printed circuit board substrate adopts a printed circuit board substrate with a length, width and height of 4mm×4mm×0.25mm, the inner hollow metal shell adopts an inner hollow metal shell with an outer diameter of 3.5mm, a width of 3.5mm and a height of 1.2mm, and the oil-proof net uses an oil-proof net with a length, width and height of 3mm×3mm×0.15mm. In this embodiment, the printed circuit board substrate, the inner hollow metal shell and the oil-proof net are limited by specific size parameters to ensure that the module can be plug-and-play in the mainstream disposable or cartridge-changing electronic cigarette cavity, and to establish a unified quality inspection benchmark for industrial production. Among them, the substrate thickness of 4mm×4mm×0.25mm not only meets the number of wiring layers and mechanical strength, but also avoids occupying too much three-dimensional space; the metal shell of 3.5mm×3.5mm×1.2mm reserves sufficient Bonding line height while ensuring shielding and heat dissipation; the oil-proof net of 3mm×3mm×0.15mm takes into account both air permeability efficiency and oil resistance. Size standardization helps with subsequent batch SMT placement and automated glue filling, improves yield rate and reduces production costs.

[0036] In some preferred embodiments, the SOC chip is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate by a gluing process to ensure the structural stability and seismic resistance of the chip during processing and use. Among them, the SOC chip is fixed to the printed circuit board substrate by a gluing process, which can provide additional support in high-temperature reflow soldering, drop impact and long-term vibration environments, prevent the chip and the substrate from causing solder joint cracks due to mismatched thermal expansion coefficients, and ensure the long-term reliability of electrical interconnection. For electronic cigarettes, which are products that are carried around and often held and collided by users, the mechanical reinforcement of the chip is directly related to the failure rate and after-sales cost. The SOC chip is fixed to the printed circuit board substrate by a gluing process, which can avoid potential failure modes caused by simple mounting.

[0037] In some preferred embodiments, the Bonding process includes providing a plurality of welding lead pads on the printed circuit board substrate, and connecting the SOC chip pins with corresponding pads on the printed circuit board substrate using fine metal wires to ensure stable transmission of signal and power paths. In this embodiment, multiple pads are reserved on the printed circuit board substrate and the SOC chip pins are connected with fine metal wires, which can ensure that high-speed digital signals and analog sensor signals have low-impedance, equal-length or controllable-length interconnection paths, thereby reducing crosstalk; at the same time, fine-wire Bonding is easier to balance heat dissipation and cost in small-size modules compared to flip-chip soldering, so that the module can still maintain reliable power supply and control logic when the high-current MOSFET is turned on.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, the airflow sensor is a silicon-based structure with analog output capability, and is directly connected to the microcontroller unit MCU in the SOC chip to avoid interference problems caused by long transmission paths in traditional discrete structures. It should be noted that silicon-based airflow sensors have the advantages of good consistency, low batch cost, and long-term operation in high-humidity and high-oil environments; analog output can provide higher resolution than digital switching quantity, and supports the adjustment of the suction resistance threshold through software algorithms in the later stage. The airflow sensor is directly connected to the microcontroller unit MCU in the SOC chip, which can avoid routing interference and impedance mismatch problems caused by traditional discrete wiring, while reducing peripheral amplification and shaping circuits, further reducing the area and power consumption of printed circuit boards.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the hollow metal shell is made of aluminum. It should be noted that aluminum has excellent thermal conductivity, which can conduct the heat generated by MOSFET driving to the overall metal shell of the electronic cigarette in a timely manner to reduce the junction temperature of the chip; its electrical conductivity can also form a good electromagnetic shielding to suppress the radiation interference of the MCU high-frequency clock to the antenna or other sensitive circuits. Compared with stainless steel or plastic shells, aluminum shells are easy to stamp, light in weight and cost-controlled.

[0040] In some preferred embodiments, the integrated intelligent module wraps the entire module structure with silicone parts in actual use to prevent airflow leakage. It should be noted that the silicone parts wrap the entire module structure as a whole, which can solve the rigidity requirements of the airflow sensor for the sealing channel. Silicone itself is soft, high temperature resistant, and oil mist resistant. It can adaptively fill the tiny gap between the shell and the inner cavity of the cigarette rod during the assembly process to prevent the drift of suction resistance caused by bypass leakage; at the same time, the silicone coating can also serve as a vibration damping pad to alleviate the mechanical stress transmitted to the Bonding line by the impact of falling, and provide a structural compatibility layer for the module in cigarette rods of different manufacturers and different structures, reducing the difficulty of ODM integration.

[0041] In some preferred embodiments, the SOC chip is also integrated with a status display drive circuit for controlling LED or other display devices to display device status information. After receiving the inhalation signal generated by the airflow sensor, the microcontroller unit MCU determines whether the device is in an operable state, and drives the power tube MOSFET to turn on under the premise that the state allows, to power the heating wire of the electronic cigarette. The display drive unit also outputs a status signal to prompt the user of the current working mode and battery status of the electronic cigarette. In this embodiment, the status display drive circuit is further integrated in the SOC chip, and the logic closed loop of the microcontroller unit MCU in inhalation detection, fault judgment and MOSFET conduction control is clarified. By completing sampling, judgment, driving and human-computer interaction on the same chip, the control link delay can be shortened and the user experience can be improved; at the same time, when abnormalities such as overcurrent and undervoltage are detected, the microcontroller unit MCU can immediately turn off the MOSFET and prompt through the LED to improve safety.

[0042] Embodiment 2

[0043] See also Figure 1-Figure 3The present embodiment provides an electronic cigarette control system, which uses the above-mentioned integrated intelligent module for the electronic cigarette control system, and is provided with a printed circuit board substrate, a SOC chip, an airflow sensor, an inner hollow metal shell and an oil-proof net. The bottom of the printed circuit board substrate is provided with a PCB pad, and the PCB pad is used to connect with the printed circuit board. The SOC chip is arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding pad arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate. The airflow sensor is arranged on the printed circuit board substrate through a Bonding process. The upper part of the board is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through the bonding pad set on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate. The inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the wire bonding on the printed circuit board substrate. The oil-proof net is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the pores on the inner hollow metal shell, thereby improving the integration, consistency and structural stability of the electronic cigarette control system, avoiding smoke oil corrosion, and reducing the cost of the electronic cigarette control system. This embodiment combines the five key components of the printed circuit board substrate, SOC chip, airflow sensor, inner hollow metal shell and oil-proof net into one with a clear space and connection relationship, and completely covers the charging management, suction detection, power drive and environmental protection functions required for the electronic cigarette control system. By using the Bonding process to arrange the SOC chip and the airflow sensor on the same substrate, supplemented by a metal shielding cavity and an oil-proof net, the technical problems of the traditional discrete solution, such as large PCB area, complex wiring, and airflow detection being susceptible to oil mist contamination, can be solved at one time, achieving the comprehensive technical effect of area reduction and reliability improvement.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system, characterized in that: include: A printed circuit board substrate, wherein a PCB pad is provided at the bottom of the printed circuit board substrate, and the PCB pad is used to connect to the printed circuit board; A SOC chip, wherein the SOC chip is arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding pad arranged on the upper part of the printed circuit board substrate; An airflow sensor, wherein the airflow sensor is disposed on the upper portion of the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding process, and is connected to the printed circuit board substrate through a bonding pad disposed on the upper portion of the printed circuit board substrate; An inner hollow metal shell, wherein the inner hollow metal shell is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate to shield the SOC chip, the airflow sensor and external interference of the bonding wires on the printed circuit board substrate; The oil-proof net is mounted on the inner hollow metal shell to prevent external smoke oil or smoke from entering the cavity between the inner hollow metal shell and the printed circuit board substrate through the air holes on the inner hollow metal shell.

2. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The SOC chip internally integrates a microcontroller unit MCU, a power tube MOSFET and a battery charging management unit; the microcontroller unit MCU is connected to the airflow sensor to realize the detection of the suction action.

3. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the hollow metal shell is provided with a Z-shaped opening path matched with the air inlet hole of the air flow sensor to prevent excessive air pressure.

4. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printed circuit board substrate adopts a printed circuit board substrate with a length, width and height of 4mm×4mm×0.25mm, the inner hollow metal shell adopts an inner hollow metal shell with an outer diameter of 3.5mm, 3.5mm, and 1.2mm, and the oil-proof net adopts a length, width and height of 3mm×3mm×0.15mm.

5. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The SOC chip is fixed on the printed circuit board substrate by using a gluing process to ensure the structural stability and anti-vibration performance of the chip during processing and use.

6. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Bonding process includes providing a plurality of welding lead pads on the printed circuit board substrate, and connecting the SOC chip pins with corresponding pads on the printed circuit board substrate using fine metal wires to ensure stable transmission of signal and power supply paths.

7. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The airflow sensor is a silicon-based structure with analog output capability, and is directly connected to the microcontroller unit MCU in the SOC chip, thereby avoiding interference problems caused by a long transmission path in a traditional discrete structure.

8. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner hollow metal shell is made of aluminum.

9. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In actual use, the integrated intelligent module wraps the entire module structure with a silicone piece to prevent airflow leakage.

10. The integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The SOC chip also integrates a status display drive circuit for controlling LEDs or other display devices to display device status information. After receiving the inhalation signal generated by the airflow sensor, the microcontroller unit MCU determines whether the device is in an operable state, and drives the power tube MOSFET to turn on if the state allows, to power the heating wire of the electronic cigarette. The display drive unit also outputs a status signal to prompt the user of the current working mode and battery status of the electronic cigarette.

11. An electronic cigarette control system, characterized in that: The electronic cigarette control system uses the integrated intelligent module for an electronic cigarette control system as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images