Electronic Cigarette
Patent No. US2017196264 (titled "Electronic Cigarette") was filed by Huizhou Kimree Technology on May 28, 2014. The application was issued on Jul 13, 2017.
What is this patent about?
’264 is related to the field of electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers, specifically focusing on the structural architecture of the device to improve portability, electrical reliability, and the prevention of liquid leakage. Traditional designs often suffer from excessive length and oil seepage into the electronics due to the serial alignment of the battery and liquid reservoir.
The underlying idea behind ’264 is to transition from a long, serial stack to a parallel configuration where the battery assembly and the liquid storage bottle sit side-by-side. By offsetting the battery from the liquid path and utilizing a resilient contact interface rather than fixed wiring, the device achieves a more compact form factor while isolating sensitive electronics from potential leaks.
The claims of ’264 focus on a main body housing a smoking end, an atomization assembly, and a battery assembly, where the liquid bottle is positioned at the end furthest from the mouthpiece. A critical feature is the electrical connection component that is resiliently abutted against the side wall of the atomization assembly, facilitating a stable power link without permanent solder joints.
In practice, the invention utilizes a support frame with a central baffle that separates the battery from the liquid bottle. The electrical connection is maintained by pogo pins or leaf springs that press against the atomizer's electrodes. This mechanical pressure ensures a reliable circuit even when the device is subjected to vibration, while also making the atomizer easier to replace or service.
This approach differs from prior art by eliminating the need for smoke to travel through the oil storage region, which prevents condensation and the accidental inhalation of unvaporized liquid. Furthermore, the implementation of a sliding sheathing with a spring-loaded toggle mechanism protects the bottle and provides a tactile, bi-stable opening and closing action that prevents accidental exposure of the reservoir.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2010s when ’264 was filed, electronic vaporization devices were typically implemented using a linear, coaxial architecture where the liquid reservoir, heating element, and power source were stacked vertically in a single column. At a time when these systems commonly relied on manual wire soldering or fixed mechanical threading for internal electrical routing, maintaining a stable connection between the power supply and the atomizer was often compromised by manufacturing tolerances or mechanical stress. Furthermore, when hardware constraints made the prevention of fluid migration non-trivial, the standard serial arrangement frequently resulted in liquid seepage into the battery compartment via gravity or capillary action, while the placement of the vapor path through the storage medium often led to unwanted condensation and fluid inhalation.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a technical advancement through an architectural shift from serial to parallel component integration, combined with a resilient electrical interface. By positioning the liquid storage bottle in parallel with the battery assembly and utilizing pogo pin or leaf spring electrodes to create a resilient abutment, the system achieves a stable electrical connection that facilitates easier assembly and disassembly compared to fixed wiring. This structural reconfiguration overcomes the constraint of excessive device length and mitigates the risk of electrical shorts by isolating the battery from the fluid path. Additionally, the placement of the atomization assembly between the smoking end and a distal reservoir ensures that the vapor path does not traverse the primary oil storage area, effectively preventing fluid condensation and leakage into the mouthpiece while enabling a larger, more ergonomic form factor.
Claims
This patent contains a total of 20 claims, with claims 1 and 20 serving as the independent claims. The independent claims focus on the structural configuration of an electronic cigarette, specifically detailing a main body where a tobacco oil bottle is arranged in parallel with a battery assembly and an electrical connection component is resiliently abutted against the side wall of an atomization assembly to provide power. The dependent claims serve to further define specific internal components and mechanical features, such as the coaxial arrangement of the smoking end and oil bottle, the detailed construction of the heating wire and oil guiding mechanisms, the use of pogo pin or leaf spring electrodes, the inclusion of a display panel and control keys, and the implementation of a sliding protective sheathing mechanism for the oil bottle.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.
Get instant alerts for new documents
US2017196264
- Application Number
- US201415314109
- Filing Date
- May 28, 2014
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 2017
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents