Electronic Cigarette Charging Dock, Electronic Cigarette Case, And Method For Use Thereof

What is this patent about?

’933 is related to the field of portable power solutions for vaporizers, specifically focusing on the mechanical interface between a rechargeable battery rod and a portable charging case. Traditional docks often rely on flat metal leaf springs or complex clamping sheets that are prone to permanent deformation, misalignment, and accidental short circuits after repeated use. The invention seeks to improve the reliability and service life of these charging interfaces by moving away from fragile sheet-metal contacts toward a more robust, linear mechanical design.

The underlying idea behind ’933 is to replace traditional flat elastic sheets with cylindrical elastic pins that operate through purely axial movement. By utilizing a plunger-style architecture where internal springs provide the necessary contact force, the invention ensures that the conductive elements only move along a single axis. This linear travel eliminates the lateral bending and structural fatigue common in leaf springs, ensuring that the positive and negative terminals remain physically isolated and parallel, which significantly reduces the risk of a short circuit during the insertion of the vaporizer.

The claims of ’933 focus on a charging dock assembly featuring a pair of cylindrical pins—one for the positive electrode and one for the negative electrode—each containing an internal elastic device. Each pin is constructed with a first terminal that extends to meet the vaporizer and a second terminal that connects to the internal power source, with a spring sandwiched between them to maintain constant pressure. This telescoping mechanism allows the pins to retract into a base when the battery rod is inserted, creating a secure electrical path through the pin body itself.

In practice, the dock is housed within a protective case that includes a dedicated battery and a control circuit. When a user slides the vaporizer into the dock’s inserting slot, the flat terminals on the end of the battery rod press against the protruding heads of the pins. The internal springs compress, ensuring a stable electrical connection even if the vaporizer is not perfectly seated. Some embodiments further include a third 'trigger' pin that communicates with a sensing circuit to automatically initiate the charging process only when a device is detected.

This approach differs from prior solutions by isolating the mechanical spring function from the structural housing of the dock. Unlike leaf springs that require complex clamping geometries and are easily bent out of shape, these axial plungers are self-contained units that fit into simple circular holes in a base plate. This makes the assembly process more straightforward and ensures that the conductive parts do not undergo permanent plastic deformation, resulting in a more durable and reliable interface for daily consumer use.