Electronic cigarette, atomizer and atomizing assembly for electronic cigarette

Abstract

To provide an electronic cigarette preventing a heating element from deforming or breaking under a cold heat cycle, electronic cigarette atomizer and atomization assembly.SOLUTION: An electronic cigarette atomizer includes: a liquid storage chamber for storing a liquid substrate; a porous body in fluid communication with the liquid storage chamber to absorb the liquid substrate; and a heating element including a first electrode connection portion, a second electrode connection portion, and a resistance heating trajectory extending between the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion, where a curvature of any position on a part of the resistance heating trajectory connected close to the first electrode connection portion and / or the second electrode connection portion is not zero. The heating element of the electronic cigarette atomizer adopts the resistance heating trajectory to perform heating and causes the part of the resistance heating trajectory that is connected close to the electrode connection portion to be in a bending shape whose curvature is not zero. Therefore, internal tensile stress formed due to a deformation difference is eliminated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202010855599.2, entitled "Electronic Cigarette, Atomizer and Atomization Assembly for Electronic Cigarette," filed with the China Patent Office on August 20, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD The present application relates to the technical field of aerosol generating devices, and more particularly to electronic cigarettes, atomizers and atomizing assemblies for electronic cigarettes. [Background technology]

[0003] Tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Attempts have been made to produce alternatives to these tobacco-burning products that release compounds without combustion.

[0004] One example of such a product is a heating device, which heats, rather than burns, a material to release a compound. For example, the material may be tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. Another example is aerosol delivery products, such as so-called e-cigarette devices. These devices typically contain a liquid that can be heated and vaporized to generate an inhalable vapor or aerosol. The liquid may contain nicotine and / or flavorings and / or aerosol-generating substances (e.g., glycerin).

[0005] The core component of known e-cigarette products is an atomization assembly that vaporizes liquid to generate aerosol. The atomization assembly includes a porous body for drawing and conducting the liquid, and a heating element disposed within the porous body for heating and atomizing the liquid drawn and conducted by the porous body. The porous body has capillary pores within it, allowing the liquid to be absorbed and transferred to the heating element through the pores. During operation, known heating elements have a main heat-generating region concentrated in the center of the heating element, with lower temperatures near the edges. The temperature of each portion of the heating element gradually changes. Due to the shock effect of the thermal shock during operation, different portions of the heating element expand and contract to different degrees, which can cause the heating element to bend or break and shorten the service life of the wick. Summary of the Invention

[0006] It is an object of one embodiment of the present application to provide an atomizer for an electronic cigarette configured to atomize a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol for smoking, the atomizer comprising: a liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid substrate; a porous body in fluid communication with the liquid storage chamber for absorbing the liquid substrate; and a heating element formed in the porous body for heating the liquid substrate within at least a portion of the porous body to form an aerosol, the heating element comprising a first electrode connection portion, a second electrode connection portion, and a resistive heating track extending between the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion, the resistive heating track comprising a first portion connected proximate to the first electrode connection portion and a second portion connected proximate to the second electrode connection portion, and the heating element having a curvature of at least one of the first and / or second portions that is non-zero at any point.

[0007] The heating element of the above-mentioned electronic cigarette atomizer employs a specially designed resistance heating track for heating, and the portion of the resistance heating track that is connected close to the electrode connection portion and has a large temperature difference is curved with a non-zero curvature, thereby changing the stress state of this portion during thermal shock, eliminating or dispersing part of the internal stress caused by the expansion and contraction difference, and preventing deformation or fracture of the heating element under thermal cycling.

[0008] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track is constructed so that the entire track contains only a limited number of points of zero curvature, such that the entire heating track is a series of curved, connected tracks with different curvature directions, and the stress state of the heating track during thermal shock is globally optimized.

[0009] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track is configured to be connected to the electrode connection, and there exists a straight line passing through the connection point and intersecting the resistive heating track at two points, the distance between the two points being greater than the distance between the connection point and its adjacent intersection point, which reduces the high temperature difference of the resistive heating track, improves the temperature distribution characteristics near the connection point, and further improves the stress state during thermal shock.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and second parts are symmetrical. In specific alternative embodiments, the symmetry may be axial, central or rotational symmetry.

[0011] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and / or second portion is configured as an arc having a constant curvature.

[0012] In a more preferred embodiment, the curvature of the first and / or second portion is variable.

[0013] In a more preferred embodiment, the porous body has an atomizing surface and the heating element is formed on the atomizing surface.

[0014] In a more preferred embodiment, the atomizing surface is a flat, planar surface.

[0015] In a more preferred embodiment, the atomizing surface includes a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to the length direction, the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion are sequentially arranged along the length direction, The area of ​​the region defined by a straight line passing through the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion along the width direction within the atomization surface and a straight line passing through the connection point between the second portion and the second electrode connection portion along the width direction is less than two-thirds of the area of ​​the atomization surface.

[0016] In a more preferred embodiment, the atomizing surface includes a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to the length direction, The first portion and / or the second portion are configured to curve outward along the width direction.

[0017] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and / or second portion is defined as a portion whose extension length is less than one eighth of the extension length of the resistive heating track.

[0018] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track is of a circuitous or reciprocating curved shape.

[0019] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track includes at least one curvature direction transition point, and the first portion is formed from the portion between the curvature direction transition point adjacent to the first electrode connection portion and the first electrode connection portion, and the second portion is formed from the portion between the curvature direction transition point adjacent to the second electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion.

[0020] In a more preferred embodiment, the first and second portions are curved in opposite directions.

[0021] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track includes a first curvature transition point adjacent to the first electrode connection portion and a second curvature transition point adjacent to the second electrode connection portion, and the first portion is formed from the portion between the first curvature transition point and the first electrode connection portion, and the second portion is formed from the portion between the second curvature transition point and the second electrode connection portion.

[0022] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track further comprises a third portion located between the first curvature direction transition point and the second curvature direction transition point; The third portion is curved in an opposite direction to the first portion, and / or the third portion is curved in an opposite direction to the second portion.

[0023] In a more preferred embodiment, the third portion has a non-zero curvature at any point.

[0024] In a more preferred embodiment, the curvature of the first and / or second portion is greater than the curvature of the third portion.

[0025] In a more preferred embodiment, there is a straight line within the atomization surface that passes through the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion and the first curvature direction transition point, the straight line having an intersection with the third portion, and the distance from the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion to the first curvature direction transition point is smaller than the distance from the first curvature direction transition point to the intersection point.

[0026] In a more preferred embodiment, the width of the resistive heating track is substantially constant.

[0027] In a more preferred embodiment, the width of the resistive heating track is 0.2-0.5 mm; and / or the resistive heating track has an extension length of 5 to 50 mm; and / or the resistance of said resistive heating track is between 0.5 and 2.0 Ω.

[0028] In a more preferred embodiment, the resistive heating track is of circuitous or reciprocating curved shape.

[0029] In a more preferred embodiment, the first electrode connection portion and / or the second electrode connection portion is located substantially at the center of the width of the atomizing surface.

[0030] In a more preferred embodiment, the porous body includes porous ceramics.

[0031] The present application further proposes an electronic cigarette comprising an atomization device for atomizing a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol for smoking, and a power supply device for supplying power to said atomization device, wherein said atomization device comprises the electronic cigarette atomizer described above.

[0032] The present application further proposes an atomization assembly for an electronic cigarette comprising a porous body for absorbing a liquid substrate and a heating element formed in the porous body, wherein the heating element comprises a first electrode connection portion, a second electrode connection portion, and a resistive heating track extending between the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion, wherein the resistive heating track comprises a first portion connected in close proximity to the first electrode connection portion and a second portion connected in close proximity to the second electrode connection portion, and wherein neither the first portion nor the second portion has zero curvature at any point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] One or more embodiments are illustratively described by the figures in the corresponding drawings, but these illustrative descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments, and elements in the drawings with the same reference numerals are like elements, and unless otherwise specified, the figures in the drawings are not to scale. [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an atomizer for electronic cigarettes provided in one embodiment of the present application; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a heating element proposed in one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing stresses formed in the curved portion of the heating element in FIG. 2 due to thermal shock. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a heating element proposed in another embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a porous body proposed in another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a surface mounting process for manufacturing an atomizing assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of screen peeling after laser printing in the manufacture of an atomizing assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of an atomization assembly obtained after sintering in the manufacture of an atomization assembly according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a heating element of a comparative example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a heating element of another comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an electron microscope observation view of the heating element of the embodiment after a thermal cycling test. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an electron microscope observation view of a heating element of a comparative example after a thermal cycling test. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of temperature zones in an atomizing assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of temperature zones in another embodiment of an atomizing assembly. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of temperature zones in another embodiment of an atomizing assembly. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of temperature zones in a comparative example atomization assembly. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of temperature zones of another comparative example of an atomizing assembly. [Figure 20] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette proposed in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] In order to facilitate understanding of the present application, the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] One embodiment of the present application proposes an atomizer for an electronic cigarette for heating and vaporizing a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol for smoking. Figure 1 shows a structural diagram of an atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to one embodiment, which includes: The device comprises a main housing 10 which is substantially hollow and cylindrical, and of course the main housing 10 is hollow inside and contains functional devices necessary for storing and atomizing the liquid substrate. In FIG. 1, an end cap 20 is provided at the lower end of the main housing 10 which is open along the length direction, closing the lower end of the main housing 10.

[0036] The main housing 10 contains: a smoke delivery tube (11) extending axially and providing a smoke delivery passage for delivering the formed aerosol to an upper end for smoking; A liquid storage chamber 12 is provided, formed between the smoke delivery tube 11 and the inner wall of the main housing 10, for storing a liquid substrate.

[0037] A porous body 30 is further provided within the main housing 10. In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the porous body 30 is in the form of a sheet or block, and has a liquid absorption surface 310 and an atomization surface 320 that are opposite to each other in the axial direction of the main housing 10. In FIG. 1, the liquid-absorbing surface 310 is the upper surface of the porous body 30, which is in fluid communication with the liquid storage chamber 12, and in use, the liquid substrate in the liquid storage chamber 12 can be transferred to and absorbed by the upper surface 310, as shown by arrow R1. 1, atomizing surface 320 is the underside of porous body 30, on which heating element 40 is provided for heating and vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid substrate within porous body 30 to generate a smoking aerosol. Atomizing surface 320 is in airflow communication with smoke delivery conduit 11, and the generated aerosol is emitted or escapes from atomizing surface 320 before being delivered through smoke delivery conduit 11, as indicated by arrow R2.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the heating element 40 formed on the atomizing surface 320 of the porous body 30. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, the atomizing surface 320 has a rectangular structure extending along the lateral direction of the main housing 10. The porous body 30 is generally manufactured using porous ceramics, inorganic porous materials, or porous rigid materials. The porous ceramics most commonly used in e-cigarette atomizers include at least one of silicon-based ceramics such as silica, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride; aluminum-based ceramics such as aluminum nitride and alumina; zirconia ceramics; and diatomaceous earth ceramics. The porous body 30 preferably has a pore size of 5 to 60 μm and a porosity of 30 to 60%.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 40 includes a first electrode connection portion 41 adjacent to one longitudinal side of the atomizing surface 320, and a second electrode connection portion 42 adjacent to the other longitudinal side of the atomizing surface 320. In use, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 form an electrical connection by abutting or welding the positive electrode / negative electrode 21 of FIG. 1, and further supply power to the heating element 40.

[0040] 2, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 are configured to have a substantially rectangular shape, or in other alternative embodiments, may be circular, elliptical, etc. In terms of material, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 are preferably made of a material such as gold or silver, which has a low resistance coefficient and high conductivity.

[0041] The heating element 40 further includes a resistive heating track 43 extending between the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42. Based on the functional requirements for heated atomization, the resistive heating track 43 generally adopts a resistive metal material or metal alloy material having a suitable impedance, for example, suitable metal or alloy materials include at least one of nickel, cobalt, zirconium, titanium, nickel alloy, cobalt alloy, zirconium alloy, titanium alloy, nickel chromium alloy, nickel iron alloy, iron chromium alloy, titanium alloy, iron manganese aluminum based alloy, stainless steel, etc.

[0042] 2, the resistive heating track 43 comprises a first portion 431 connected adjacent to the first electrode connection portion 41 and a second portion 432 connected adjacent to the second electrode connection portion 42, the first portion 431 and the second portion 432 being configured in a curved shape rather than a straight shape. In the preferred embodiment, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 are located at the center of the width of the atomizing surface 320.

[0043] Or, in another alternative embodiment, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 are arranged in a staggered pattern along the width direction of the atomizing surface 320. For example, the first electrode connection portion 41 is adjacent to the lower end along the width direction of the atomizing surface 320, and the second electrode connection portion 42 is adjacent to the upper end along the width direction of the atomizing surface 320.

[0044] In practice, the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42 have low temperatures, the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 are far from the central high-temperature region of the resistance heating track 43, and the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 are located at the point where the temperature change is greatest, so that the internal stress due to the expansion difference during thermal cycling is large. If the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 are designed to have a curved shape, the three-directional tensile stress experienced at any point includes tensile stresses F1 and F2 in opposite directions due to the different temperature differences on both sides of the extension direction, and tensile stress F3 in the curved direction, as shown in A1 of Figure 3. These stresses can be mutually offset by force decomposition, effectively preventing deformation or cracking of the heating element during thermal cycling.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment shown in Figure 2, the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 are arcs with a constant curvature, or in an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4, the curvature of the first portion 431a and / or the second portion 432a is variable.

[0046] 2, there is a line L1 passing through the connection point between the first electrode connection portion 41 and the first portion 431 along the width direction of the atomizing surface 320, and there is a line L2 passing through the connection point between the second electrode connection portion 42 and the second portion 432 along the width direction of the atomizing surface 320, and the resistance heating track 43 is disposed between the lines L1 and L2. The area of ​​the region S1 defined by the lines L1 and L2 does not exceed two-thirds of the total area of ​​the atomizing surface 320. More preferably, the area of ​​the region S1 does not exceed one-half of the total area of ​​the atomizing surface 320.

[0047] 2, the atomizing surface 320 of the bulk porous body 30 has a length of about 8 mm and a width of about 4.2 mm, and the distance between L1 and the left edge is about 1.8 mm. That is, the area S1 defined by the lines L1 and L2 has a length of about 4.4 mm and an area slightly less than half the total area of ​​the atomizing surface 320. The resistive heating track 43 helps to concentrate the radiative main heat generation area at an optimal location on the atomizing surface 320.

[0048] Generally, in practice, the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 are part of the resistive heating track 43 and are not visibly or noticeably distinct from other portions in terms of visible shape or color or material, etc.

[0049] In general, in practice, it is reasonable to define the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 as a portion whose length is less than about one-eighth of the total extension length of the resistive heating track 43. For example, for the geometry of the conductive track 43 in Figure 2, the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 have a length of about 2-3 mm, and the conductive track 43 has a total extension length after deployment of about 5-50 mm. In use, the temperature difference between the two sides of the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 defined by this dimensional ratio will be significant, exactly where stresses will concentrate and where they are likely to fracture.

[0050] 2, the first portion 431 and the second portion 432 are defined by transition points in the curve direction of the reciprocatingly curved resistive heating track 43. Specifically, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the resistive heating track 43 has a first curve direction transition point 434 and a second curve direction transition point 435. The first curve direction transition point 434 is adjacent to the first electrode connection portion 41, and the portion between the first curve direction transition point 434 and the first electrode connection portion 41 is the first portion 431, and the portion between the second curve direction transition point 435 and the second electrode connection portion 42 is the second portion 432.

[0051] The resistance heating track 43 further includes a third portion 433 located between the first curvature direction transition point 434 and the second curvature direction transition point 435. Of course, the third portion 433 is also curved, with a non-zero curvature at any point, i.e., it is not linear. As shown in Figure 2, the curvature of the third portion 433 is opposite to that of the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432.

[0052] Furthermore, the curvature of the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 is greater than the curvature of the third portion 433. The third portion 433 has a wider heat radiation range, which can cover the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 as much as possible and reduce the temperature difference between the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432.

[0053] 2, the width of the resistive heating track 43 is approximately 0.35 mm and is substantially constant. Based on the requirement that the resistance value of a typical heating element 40 is 0.5-2.0 Ω, the resistive heating track 43 / 43a may adopt a width range of 0.2-0.5 mm.

[0054] In a specific product example, Figure 10 below shows a microscopic view of a manufactured resistive heating track 43 suitable for a current typical low-power flat electronic cigarette, where the resistive heating track 43 has a total extension length of 10.5-10.6 mm, a line width of 0.35 mm, and a resistance value of 1.1 Ω (tolerance ±0.15).

[0055] 2, the resistive heating track 43 has a straight line m passing through the connection point between the first electrode connection part 41 and the first portion 431 and the first bending direction transition point 434, and the straight line m has an intersection point m1 with the third portion 433 of the resistive heating track 43. The distance from the connection point between the first electrode connection part 41 and the first portion 431 to the first bending direction transition point 434 is shorter than the distance from the first bending direction transition point 434 to the intersection point m1. This structure allows the main temperature region of the resistive heating track 43 to be substantially close to or cover the first electrode connection part 41 or the first portion 431, which helps to prevent an excessive temperature difference between both sides of the first portion 431 during operation and the likelihood of large internal stresses occurring during thermal cycling.

[0056] In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the resistive heating track 43 is generally "Ω" shaped, and the temperature zone formed by employing this shaped resistive heating track 43 is generally uniformly circular.

[0057] In the preferred shape and location shown in Figure 2, the shortest distance from the resistive heating track 43 to the upper or lower end of the atomizing surface 320 is less than one-fifth the width of the atomizing surface 320, thereby minimizing the radiation area of ​​the main heat generation temperature of the resistive heating track 43 from exceeding the atomizing surface 320 as much as possible. For example, in Figure 2, the shortest distance n from the resistive heating track 43 to the upper or lower end of the atomizing surface 320 is approximately 0.8 mm. In the variation shown in Figure 2, the shortest distance n from the resistive heating track 43 to the upper end of the atomizing surface 320 may be further increased to 1.2 mm, which means that the resistive heating track 43 shown in Figures 2 and 4 can be designed to be flatter, which may be advantageous for temperature concentration.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, the shape of the resistive heating track 43a may be substantially S-shaped as shown in Fig. 4, where any portion of the resistive heating track 43a, particularly the first portion 431a and / or the second portion 432a, is curved, which not only allows the temperature of each portion to transition uniformly during operation, but also relieves internal tensile stress due to differential expansion and contraction, preventing deformation or cracking of the heating element. Similarly, the location of the resistive heating track 43a and the dimensional distance between each side edge of the atomizing surface 320a may also conform to the position shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 4, the first portion 431a and / or the second portion 432a may be defined by the ratio of the overall extension length of the resistive heating track 43a, or by the curve direction transition point 434a.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the resistive heating track 43 / 43a is curved in a roundabout manner, the purpose of which is to enable the resistive heating track 43 / 43a to extend to a sufficient length in a given area and still achieve the desired resistance value.

[0060] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 4, the first portion 431 / 431a and / or the second portion 432 / 432a are not inwardly curved but are instead outwardly curved across the width of the atomizing surface 320 / 320a.

[0061] In other alternative embodiments, the shape of the porous body 30 can be changed arbitrarily. For example, FIG. 5 shows the structure of one general shape of porous body 30d, which has an atomizing surface 320d for forming a heating element 40, and has a structure such as a groove 31d on the side opposite the atomizing surface 320d, and the space in the groove 31d helps to shorten the transmission distance of the liquid substrate to the atomizing surface 320d.

[0062] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the atomization surface 320d corresponds to the projection area S2 of the groove 31d (i.e., the portion between the dashed lines L3 and L4 in Figure 5), and the heating element 40 is located within the projection area S2 of the groove 31d on the atomization surface 320d, and further, during use, the liquid substrate can be smoothly and quickly transferred to the heating element 40.

[0063] An embodiment of the present application further proposes an atomization assembly for an electronic cigarette atomizer, which comprises a porous body 30 for absorbing a liquid substrate, and a heating element 40 formed in the porous body 30, wherein the heating element 40 comprises a first electrode connection portion 41, a second electrode connection portion 42, and a resistive heating track 43 extending between the first electrode connection portion 41 and the second electrode connection portion 42, wherein the resistive heating track 43 comprises a first portion 431 connected in close proximity to the first electrode connection portion 41 and a second portion 432 connected in close proximity to the second electrode connection portion 42, and wherein the curvature at any point of the first portion 431 and / or the second portion 432 is not zero.

[0064] An embodiment of the present application further proposes a manufacturing method for an atomization assembly for an electronic cigarette atomizer, the atomization assembly including the above-mentioned porous body 30 and heating element 40. In one embodiment, the manufacturing method steps are performed in a manner similar to SMT (surface mount) laser printing and sintering, which is more accurate than current SMT screen printing and sintering.

[0065] To further demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing the atomized assembly with the SMT laser printing process of the present application, in one embodiment, the detailed steps include the following S10 to S50, as shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0066] In S10, the sheet-like porous body 30 shown in the figure above is obtained. The material is a diatomaceous earth-based porous ceramic body to which alumina and glass powder are added, and it can be purchased directly or fired by oneself.

[0067] In S20, a slurry for printing the resistive heating tracks 43 is prepared, and the components of the slurry are: The above-mentioned electrothermal metal or alloy powder is used, the particle size is 600 mesh, the shape is approximately spherical, and the solid phase heat generating functional component accounts for about 80 to 90 wt% of the mass percentage of the solid phase component of the slurry; a glass phase component for hardening and molding, which is made of SiO2 glass powder, Al2O3, MgO, CaO, or a mixture thereof, has a particle size of about 4 to 5 μm, and accounts for about 1 to 10 wt% of the mass percentage of the solid phase component of the slurry; It is possible to obtain it by purchasing commercially available organic auxiliary agents for laser printing, and the components generally include a solvent, a thickener, a leveling agent, a surfactant, a thixotropic agent, etc., and the addition ratio thereof accounts for 10 to 20 wt% of the mass percentage of the above solid phase components, and it also includes a liquid auxiliary component that assists slurry printing.

[0068] In S30, SMT mounting is performed, that is, as shown in FIG. 6, a laser printing screen 50 having a cutout portion 51 in the shape of the heating element 40 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the surface used as the atomization surface 320 of the porous body 30 in step S10, and a steel screen is generally used.

[0069] In S40, the printing slurry produced in step S20 is printed on the surface of the porous body 30 equipped with a laser printing screen 50 using a laser printing device, and when the laser printing screen 50 is peeled off or removed after printing is completed, a heating element 40 is deposited and formed on the surface of the porous body 30, as shown in Figure 7.

[0070] In S50, sintering hardening is performed, that is, the porous body 30 obtained in step S40 is baked and dried in an oven at 100°C for 20 minutes, and then transferred to a sintering furnace and sintered in a protective gas atmosphere furnace at 1100-1150°C for 30 minutes. After sintering, a batch of atomized assemblies is obtained, as shown in Figure 8, which is then cut and separated using a grinding wheel to obtain a large number of individual atomized assemblies.

[0071] In the process of preparing the printing slurry for the resistance heating track 43 in step S20 above, the solid phase components are first obtained according to the desired ratio and mixed uniformly in a ball mill for a certain period of time, and then the liquid auxiliary components are added and stirred to mix, and then rolled using a three-roll mill to uniformly disperse the solid phase powder in the organic phase of the liquid auxiliary, thereby obtaining a printing slurry with appropriate viscosity, which is then placed in a refrigerated storage cabinet at 16°C to stale for a certain period of time to make its properties more stable before use.

[0072] The use of laser printing to form a printing slurry layer of a desired thickness through a single printing pass with a laser printing device is faster and more accurate than the use of a screen printing process to form a slurry layer of a desired thickness through multiple printing passes. Furthermore, the patterns formed by laser printing are clean and free of overprinting, have a strong three-dimensional effect, and are printed neatly. The laser printing process has a simple flow, high printing efficiency, and low cost, making it suitable for industrial mass-automated production.

[0073] Furthermore, to demonstrate the inventiveness of the atomization assembly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the present application over conventional atomization assemblies, performance tests, including thermal shock fracture tests and temperature field distribution tests, were conducted on the atomization assemblies of each embodiment of the present application. In the tests, the heating elements 40b / 40c shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 were used as comparative examples. The resistive heating track 43b shown in FIG. 9 is a comparative example of the generally linear first portion 431b and / or second portion 432b. FIG. 10 is a comparative example in which the extension length of the resistive heating track 43 in FIG. 2 is further increased.

[0074] In S100, a rupture test is performed, that is, a thermal cycle is performed on the resistance heating track of the atomization assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, and the rupture state due to the thermal cycle shock is tested, specifically including the following: Under the condition of a constant power of 6.5W DC power supply, the resistance heating track was subjected to a thermal shock cycle of 3 seconds on and 15 seconds off, with one cycle being the power on for 3 seconds and the power off for 15 seconds. The fracture condition of the resistance heating track was continuously observed under a visual microscope. Each test set included five repetitions. The results are shown in Figures 10 to 13.

[0075] As a result, Figure 11 shows an overall microscopic view of the shape of the resistance heating track 43 of the atomization assembly illustrated in Figure 2 after 50 cycles, taken under an electron microscope, and Figure 12 shows an enlarged view of part A in Figure 11. As can be seen from Figures 11 and 12, the resistance heating track 43 is still in good condition, with no cracks observed under a microscope. In addition, the first electrode connection part 41 and the second electrode connection part 42, which are electrodes at both ends, use highly conductive silver-platinum alloy powder and are substantially white in color.

[0076] Fig. 13 is an electron microscope image of the overall microscopic shape of the resistance heating track 43b of the exemplary atomization assembly during cycling until cracks occur, and Fig. 14 is a partial enlarged view of portion B in Fig. 13. As can be seen from Fig. 14, statistically, cracks occurred in the first portion 431b of the resistance heating track 43b, and the average period during the test at which cracks occurred was 25. The reason for the cracks is that the first portion 431b is linear, and the temperature difference between the two sides generates tensile stresses F4 and F5 that are opposite to the extension direction shown in Fig. 9. If the temperature difference is too large, the difference between F4 and F5 will exceed a predetermined threshold, causing cracks.

[0077] In S200, a temperature range test was conducted, that is, using the shape of the porous body 30d in Figure 5 and combining the resistance heating tracks 43 / 43a / 43b / 43c of each of the above examples and comparative examples, a constant power of 6.5W was applied to the manufactured atomization assembly to simulate the temperature range after 1 second of empty firing, and convection and radiation heat dissipation were not taken into account in the test. The results are shown in Figures 15 to 19. Of course, for comparison, the materials of each of the exemplified atomization assemblies were all the same in the test, and the relevant parameters are shown in the table below.

[0078] Resistance Heating Track Fe-Cr alloy thermal conductivity coefficient 12.8W / m / K Specific heat capacity 490J / kg / ℃ Density 7200kg / m 3 Porous ceramic body Alumina-zirconia thermal conductivity coefficient 1 W / m / K Specific heat capacity 430 J / kg / ℃ Density 900 kg / m 3

[0079] In the test results, the schematic diagram of the temperature range of the embodiment of the atomization assembly shown in Figure 15 shows that the maximum temperature of the resistance heating track 43 is 964.14°C, and Figure 15 shows that the temperature within the main heat radiation area (central yellow area) is substantially uniform, and the results also show that the temperature difference between the two sides of the first part 431 / second part 432 is approximately 100 to 150°C.

[0080] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the temperature range results for an embodiment after the dimension in the width direction of the atomization surface 320 is reduced relative to the resistance heating track 43 in Figure 15, i.e., after the above-mentioned squashing. The shape of the entire heat radiation area is essentially the same as Figure 15, and as the track is relatively squashed, the resistance value changes, so the maximum temperature drops to 870.25°C. The temperature within the main heat radiation area is essentially uniform, and the temperature difference between the two sides of the first part 431 / second part 432 is also about 100-150°C.

[0081] 17 is a schematic diagram showing the temperature range results of the resistance heating track 43a of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. The resistance heating track 43a of this shape has a maximum temperature of 922.794°C, the main heat radiation area is slightly smaller than that of FIGS. 15 and 16, and the temperature difference between the two sides of the first part 431a / second part 432a increases to about 180-200°C.

[0082] 18 is a schematic diagram showing the temperature distribution of the resistive heating track 43b of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9. The resistive heating track 43b has a maximum temperature of 1042.98°C, and the main heat radiation area is smaller and less uniform than the previous example. In addition, the temperature difference between the linear first and second portions 431b and 432b exceeds 300°C, which makes it easier for expansion / contraction and stress formation due to thermal shock.

[0083] 19 is a schematic diagram of the temperature distribution of the resistive heating track 43c of the comparative example shown in FIG. 10. Because the resistive heating track 43c has a longer length extending along the length of the atomization surface, the resistance value increases, and the heat generation temperature decreases slightly, with the maximum temperature remaining at 729.116°C. The area of ​​the temperature radiation region also increases overall, but the heat utilization rate is relatively low. Furthermore, because the first portion 431c / second portion 432c are farther away from the central region, the temperature difference between the two ends is about 250°C.

[0084] Another embodiment of the present application further proposes an electronic cigarette, the structural schematic of which is shown in Fig. 20, which includes an atomization device 100 and a power supply device 200 for supplying power to the atomization device 100, the power supply device 200 having a receiving cavity 210 for at least partially receiving the atomization device 100, and the positive and negative electrodes 220 of the power supply device 200 forming an electrical closed circuit with the electrodes 21 of the atomization device 100, and further used to supply power to the atomization device 100. The atomization device 100 may include an electronic cigarette atomizer as shown in Fig. 1.

[0085] It should be noted that the specification and drawings of the present application illustrate preferred embodiments of the present application, but are not limited to the embodiments described in the present specification, and that those skilled in the art may make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the claims attached to the present application.

Claims

1. 1. An atomizer for an electronic cigarette configured to atomize a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol for smoking, comprising: a liquid storage chamber for storing a liquid substrate; a porous body in fluid communication with the liquid storage chamber for absorbing a liquid substrate, the porous body having an atomizing surface, the atomizing surface including a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to the length direction; an atomizer for an electronic cigarette comprising: a heating element formed on an atomizing surface of the porous body for heating a liquid substrate within at least a portion of the porous body to form an aerosol, the heating element including a first electrode connection portion, a second electrode connection portion, and a resistive heating track extending between the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion, the first electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion being arranged sequentially along the length direction, the resistive heating track including a first portion connected adjacent to the first electrode connection portion and a second portion connected adjacent to the second electrode connection portion, wherein the area of ​​a region defined by a straight line passing through a connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion along the width direction within the atomizing surface and a straight line passing through a connection point between the second portion and the second electrode connection portion along the width direction is less than two-thirds of the area of ​​the atomizing surface, and neither the first portion nor the second portion has a zero curvature at any point.

2. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions are symmetrical.

3. The area of ​​the region defined by a straight line passing through the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion along the width direction within the atomization surface and a straight line passing through the connection point between the second portion and the second electrode connection portion along the width direction is less than half the area of ​​the atomization surface, 10. The atomizer of claim 1, wherein the resistive heating track is configured such that the entire track contains only a limited number of points of zero curvature.

4. 2. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the resistive heating track is configured to be connected to the electrode connection portion, and there exists a straight line that passes through the connection point between the resistive heating track and the electrode connection portion and intersects with the resistive heating track at two intersection points, the distance between the two intersection points being greater than the distance between the connection point and its adjacent intersection point.

5. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and / or the second portion are configured in an arc shape with a constant curvature.

6. the curvature of the first portion is variable; The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the curvature of the second portion is variable.

7. 10. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing surface is a flat, planar surface.

8. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and / or the second portion are configured to curve outward along the width direction.

9. 2. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the extension length of the first portion and / or the second portion is less than one-eighth of the extension length of the resistive heating track.

10. 2. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the resistive heating track has a circuitous or reciprocating curved shape.

11. 11. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 10, wherein the resistive heating track includes at least one curved transition point, and the first portion is formed from the portion between the curved transition point adjacent to the first electrode connection portion and the first electrode connection portion, and the second portion is formed from the portion between the curved transition point adjacent to the second electrode connection portion and the second electrode connection portion.

12. The atomizer for electronic cigarettes according to claim 10, wherein the first and second portions are curved in opposite directions.

13. 11. The atomizer for electronic cigarettes of claim 10, wherein the resistive heating track includes a first curved transition point adjacent to the first electrode connection portion and a second curved transition point adjacent to the second electrode connection portion, and the first portion is formed from the portion between the first curved transition point and the first electrode connection portion, and the second portion is formed from the portion between the second curved transition point and the second electrode connection portion.

14. the resistive heating track further includes at least one third portion located between the first curvature direction transition point and the second curvature direction transition point; 14. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the third portions is opposite to the curvature direction of the first portion and / or the third portion is opposite to the curvature direction of the second portion.

15. 15. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 14, wherein the third portion has a non-zero curvature at any point.

16. 16. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 15, wherein the curvature of the first portion and / or the second portion is greater than that of the third portion.

17. a straight line passing through a connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion and the first curved direction transition point exists within the atomization surface, and the straight line has an intersection with the third portion; An atomizer for electronic cigarettes as described in claim 14, wherein the distance from the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion to the first bending direction transition point is shorter than the distance from the first bending direction transition point to the intersection point.

18. 10. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1, wherein the width of the resistive heating track is substantially constant.

19. the width of the resistive heating track is 0.2 to 0.5 mm; and / or the resistive heating track has an extension length of 5 to 50 mm; and / or the resistance of the resistive heating track is 0.5-2.0 Ω.

20. The atomizer for electronic cigarettes according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode connection portion and / or the second electrode connection portion is located substantially at the center of the atomizing surface in the width direction.

21. The atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to claim 1 , wherein the porous body comprises a porous ceramic body.

22. An electronic cigarette comprising an atomization device for atomizing a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol for smoking, and a power supply device for supplying power to the atomization device, characterized in that the atomization device comprises an atomizer for an electronic cigarette according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. a porous body for absorbing a liquid substrate, the porous body having an atomizing surface, the atomizing surface including a length direction and a width direction perpendicular to the length direction; a heating element formed on the atomizing surface of the porous body, the heating element including a first electrode connection, a second electrode connection, and a resistive heating track extending between the first electrode connection and the second electrode connection, the first electrode connection and the second electrode connection being arranged sequentially along the length direction, the resistive heating track including a first portion connected adjacent to the first electrode connection and a second portion connected adjacent to the second electrode connection; An atomization assembly for an electronic cigarette, wherein the area of ​​a region defined by a straight line passing through the connection point between the first portion and the first electrode connection portion along the width direction within the atomization surface and a straight line passing through the connection point between the second portion and the second electrode connection portion along the width direction is less than two-thirds of the area of ​​the atomization surface, and neither of the curvatures at any point of the first portion and / or the second portion is zero.

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