ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE BURNER ELEMENT

Abstract

An electronic cigarette burner element has a heating wire, a porous ceramic matrix, and outer cover, holes in the outer cover, and a ventilation air passage through the porous ceramic matrix. The heating wire is configured to heat and atomize vape oil. The heating wire is formed with a coil and a pair of leads including a first lead and a second lead. A porous ceramic matrix encapsulates the coil of the heating wire. A heating body is formed when the heating wire is encapsulated by the porous ceramic matrix. An outer cover can be made of metal and can fit over the heating body. A hole is formed on the outer covet to receive vape oil. The vape oil wicks through the porous ceramic matrix like a sponge receiving water. A ventilation air passage is formed along a surface of the porous ceramic matrix.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette burner element comprising: a. a heating wire configured to heat and atomize vape oil, wherein the heating wire is formed with a coil and a pair of leads including a first lead and a second lead; b. a porous ceramic matrix encapsulating the coil of the heating wire; c. a heating body formed when the heating wire is encapsulated by the porous ceramic matrix; d. an outer cover fitting over the heating body, wherein the outer cover is made of metal; e. a hole formed on the outer cover, wherein the hole is configured to receive vape oil, wherein the vape oil wicks through the porous ceramic matrix; f. a ventilation air passage along a surface of the porous ceramic matrix, wherein the ventilation air passage emits a vape gas when the coil heats the vape oil, wherein the ventilation air passage is configured to receive fresh air and is configured to exhaust the gas; and g. a power supply supplying power to the first lead and the second lead.

2. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, further comprising: second hole, and a third hole formed on the outer cover, wherein the hole, the second hole and the third hole are formed on a side wall of the outer cover.

3. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, further comprising: a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole formed on the outer cover, wherein the hole, the second hole, the third hole, and the fourth hole are circular and formed on the outer cover.

4. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, wherein the ventilation air passage passes through the coil of the heating wire, and wherein the ventilation air passage passes through the porous ceramic matrix.

5. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, wherein the porous ceramic matrix has a tube shape.

6. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, further including an upper cavity formed above the heating body, wherein the upper cavity is configured to prevent user oil aspiration.

7. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, further including a lower cavity formed below the heating body, wherein the lower cavity is configured to store the vape oil.

8. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, wherein the outer cover is made of stainless steel.

9. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, wherein the heating body is sintered to the outer cover for secure attachment, wherein the heating wire has a nickel-chromium composition.

10. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 1, wherein the first lead and the second lead of the heating wire are arranged in parallel and connected to the power supply, wherein the power supply is a DC direct current power supply.

11. An electronic cigarette burner element comprising: a. a heating wire configured to heat and atomize vape oil, wherein the heating wire is formed with a coil and a pair of leads including a first lead and a second lead; b. a porous ceramic matrix encapsulating the coil of the heating wire; c. a heating body formed when the heating wire is encapsulated by the porous ceramic matrix; d. activated carbon particles mixed into the ceramic matrix, wherein the ceramic matrix has voids, wherein the vape oil wicks through the porous ceramic matrix; e. a ventilation air passage along a surface of the porous ceramic matrix, wherein the ventilation air passage emits a vape gas when the coil heats the vape oil, wherein the ventilation air passage is configured to receive fresh air and is configured to exhaust the gas; and f. a power supply supplying power to the first lead and the second lead.

12. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, further comprising: second hole, and a third hole formed on the outer cover, wherein the hole, the second hole and the third hole are formed on a side wall of the outer cover.

13. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, further comprising: a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole formed on the outer cover, wherein the hole, the second hole, the third hole, and the fourth hole are circular and formed on the outer cover.

14. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, wherein the ventilation air passage passes through the coil of the heating wire, and wherein the ventilation air passage passes through the porous ceramic matrix.

15. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, wherein the porous ceramic matrix has a tube shape.

16. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, further including an upper cavity formed above the heating body, wherein the upper cavity is configured to prevent user oil aspiration.

17. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, further including a lower cavity formed below the heating body, wherein the lower cavity is configured to store the vape oil.

18. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, wherein the outer cover is made of stainless steel.

19. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, wherein the heating body is sintered to the outer cover for secure attachment, wherein the heating wire has a nickel-chromium composition.

20. The electronic cigarette burner element of claim 11, wherein the first lead and the second lead of the heating wire are arranged in parallel and connected to the power supply, wherein the power supply is a DC direct current power supply.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing construction of a heater unit.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a is a cut away diagram showing internal construction of the heater unit.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing construction of the cover.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a cross section diagram showing the heater unit mounted in the cover.

[0019] The following call out list can be a useful guide for referencing the call out numbers of the drawings. [0020] 35 Ceramic Matrix [0021] 37 Activated Carbon Particles [0022] 39 Outer Surface [0023] 38 Voids [0024] 20 Heater Unit [0025] 31 Upper Lead Wire Connection [0026] 22 Upper Opening [0027] 35 Heater Outside Sidewall [0028] 33 First Lead Wire [0029] 21 Lower Opening [0030] 30 Lead Wires [0031] 32 Lower Lead Wire Connection [0032] 34 Second Lead Wire [0033] 25 Coil Windings [0034] 23 First Coil Winding [0035] 24 Second Coil Winding [0036] 26 Internal Coil Cavity [0037] 27 Heater Inside Sidewall [0038] 28 First Lead Wire Tip [0039] 29 Second Lead Wire Tip [0040] 40 Cover [0041] 41 First Side Cover Opening [0042] 42 Second Side Cover Opening [0043] 43 Cover Sidewall [0044] 44 Cover Top Opening [0045] 48 Porous Material [0046] 45 Ceramic Core [0047] 43 Third Side Opening [0048] 46 Second Lead Wire Connection [0049] 47 First Lead Wire Connection [0050] 81 Upper Cavity [0051] 82 Lower Cavity [0052] 83 Oil Inlet Holes [0053] 84 Vape Gas [0054] 85 Airflow [0055] 86 Vape Oil [0056] 87 Ventilation Air Passage [0057] 88 Heating Wire [0058] 89 External Power Source

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0059] As seen in FIG. 1, a heating wire 88 has an electrical power supply 89 supplying a current to the heating wire 88. The heating wire 88 is an electrical resistance heater that operates on direct-current low voltage. The heating wire 88 has a pair of lead wires 30 that are terminated at a tip where a coil forms the tip. The lead wires 30 includes a first lead wire 33 and a second lead wire 34. The first lead wire 33 connects to an upper lead wire connection 31, and the second lead wire connects to a lower lead wire connection 32. The upper lead wire connection 33 begins the coil of the first lead wire and the lower lead wire connection 32 begins the coil of the second lead wire 34. The coils connect to each other such that the heating wire 88 is a continuous wire with a pair of ends that are electrically powered.

[0060] The heater unit 20 forms a heating body and the heating wire 88 is encapsulated by a porous ceramic matrix 36. The ceramic matrix 36 has an upper opening 22 and a lower opening 21. The upper opening 22 communicates with the lower opening 21 to form a ventilation air passage. The ventilation air passage can be a cylindrical opening screw the ceramic matrix 36. The heater unit 20 has a heater outside sidewall 35 with a porous outer surface 39 that is configured to receive a vape oil. Vape oil also called, vape juice or e-juice can be infused with a variety of different substances such as nicotine. The ceramic matrix 36 is a black ceramic due to the mixing of activated carbon particles with it when in a slurry form. The black ceramic has higher emissivity.

[0061] Preferably, activated carbon particles 37 are mixed with the ceramic slurry that forms the ceramic matrix 36. When the ceramic matrix 36 is formed, a number of voids 38 increases the porosity of the ceramic matrix 36. The activated carbon particles 37 can assist in absorbing impurities and can increase porosity and surface area. The activated carbon particles 37 are preferably ground as a powder for inclusion to the ceramic slurry. Activated carbon particles 37 are preferably between 2% and 20% of the total weight of the ceramic slurry. Absorption of oil 86 passes the oil along, and through the activated carbon particles 37.

[0062] As seen in FIG. 2, coil windings 25 are formed in the heater unit 20 in the heating body. The coil windings 25 include a first coil winding 23, and a second coil winding 24 at an upper portion near the ventilation air passage 87. The coil windings 25 can be formed near the heater inside sidewall 27, but are preferably not exposed. FIG. 2 is shown in cut away view, and the internal coil cavity 26 preferably has a heater inside sidewall 27 that does not expose the coil windings 25, but rather has the coil windings encapsulated within the ceramic matrix 36. The first lead wire tip 28 and the second lead wire tip 29 can be secured to a socket for ease of replacement.

[0063] As seen in FIG. 3, a cover 40 is formed as a stainless steel cylinder. The cover 40 is formed as a shell having openings on a cover sidewall 43 of the cover. Openings may include a first side cover opening 41, and a second side cover opening 42. The heating body of the heater unit 20 can be sintered inside the stainless steel cover. Preferably, the outer shell has four circular through holes, that are sized and configured to allow oil to and absorb into the ceramic matrix 36. Absorption is improved with higher porosity, and inclusion of activated carbon particle powder can improve porosity.

[0064] As seen in FIG. 4, an airflow 85 formed as a stream of air passes from the bottom end of the cover 40 to the top end of the cover 40. The air flow 85 enters through the lower opening 21 and exits through the upper opening 22 of the heater unit 20. The heater unit 20 is preferably formed as a cylindrical heating body with a tubular construction. The cover 40 has an upper cavity 81, and a lower cavity 82. The cover 40 has a larger diameter than the heater unit 20, because the cover 40 covers most of the side wall of the heater unit 20. A third side cover opening 43 can be circular and at a 90° angle to the first side cover opening 41 and the second side cover opening 42. A fourth side cover opening can also be placed opposite the third side cover opening 43. Preferably, the cover 40 is axially symmetrical with the right side is symmetrical to the left side, and the front side symmetrical to the backside.

[0065] The upper cavity 81 prevents the smoke oil from being aspirated by a user. Since the upper cavity 81 has a larger diameter than the internal coil cavity 26, the airflow 85 slows and releases oil droplets from the airflow 85. The lower cavity 82 can be configured for storage of the smoke oil, also called vape oil 86 or vape juice. During operation, the heating wire 88 intermittently heats and atomizes the oil 86 and the oil 86 either creates smoke or vapor, or some sort of vape gas 84 destined for user inhalation.

[0066] Preferably, the outer cover 40 and the ceramic matrix 36 are integrated so that the ceramic matrix 36 is adheres to the outer cover 40. Since the ceramic matrix 36 is porous ceramic with a cornucopia of voids 38, the oil 86 can enter the matrix 36 from the oil inlet hole of the outer cover, and then penetrate inward from the ceramic pores, so the outer cover serves to fix the ceramic and enter oil inlet holes 83. The heater unit having 20 with the ceramic heating body acts as a wick for drawing oil 86. Under the action of its own gravity, the oil 86 penetrates inwards from the heater outside sidewall 35 until the oil 86 contacts the coil of the heating wire 88, and the heating wire 88 heats and atomizes the oil 86 to form vape gas 84.

[0067] The heating wire 88 is preferably a nickel-chromium composition heating wire, with an and outer surface is precoated with ceramic material. The ceramic material precoat layer can improve adhesion with the ceramic matrix 35. The construction steps can be first to form the coil on the heating wire 88, then precoat the outer surface with a ceramic material, then mix the activated carbon particles 37 with the ceramic matrix 35 to make a slurry, then introduce the slurry and the coil windings 25 into the stainless steel cover 40 with a die and heat the slurry and coil windings to form a unitary construction. By using the stainless steel cover 40 as a mold, the ceramic matrix 35 bonds to an inside sidewall of the stainless steel cover 40, so that it does not come loose or fall out easily during use.

[0068] A variety of different specifications can be varied such as the thickness of the ceramic coating, the flash point of the oil, and the thickness of the heating wire. With rudimentary analytical heat transfer calculations, undue experimentation would not be necessary for determining the construction of the electronic vaporizer. Preferably, the outer cover is made of a low-carbon stainless steel that is acid resistant and strong in oxidation resistance, moderate in hardness, strong in stability, and provides good heat dissipation.

[0069] The lead wires are provided at both ends of the heating wire 88, and the lead wires are connected to the power supply through the wires. The power supply can be a battery connected to a voltage or current controller circuit. By avoiding fibers such as cotton or polyester, the present invention allows the heating wire 88 to energize and heat up quickly without much concern of overheating. Thus, it is a key feature of the present invention that no fiber wick is used in conjunction with the ceramic matrix wick.

[0070] Preferably, the lead wires are arranged in parallel to avoid short-circuiting. A spacer can be formed between the lead wires for maintaining the lead in a parallel configuration. The body of the heating element is extruded from ceramic material and then sintered with heat. Preferably, the pore size varies in the ceramic heater body of the heating unit to allow wicking of different viscosities of oil. As lower viscosity oil is used, greater activated carbon should be introduced into the ceramic slurry mix to provide increased microporosity.