Electronic smoking device with a heating element having a modified surface
It is provided an electronic smoking device ( 10 ) which comprises a liquid reservoir ( 34 ), a battery ( 18 ) and a heating element ( 28 ) adapted to atomize liquid of the liquid reservoir ( 34 ). The heating element ( 28 ) has a modified surface ( 50 ) that comprises a plurality of structures ( 51 ) adapted to provide a capillary force on liquid of the liquid reservoir ( 34 ) when applied onto the heating element ( 28 ).
1 . An electronic smoking device comprising:
a liquid reservoir;
a battery;
a heating element adapted to atomize a liquid of the liquid reservoir, the heating element further adapted to be provided power by the battery;
wherein
the heating element has a modified surface which comprises a plurality of structures adapted to provide a capillary force on the liquid of the liquid reservoir when applied onto the heating element, wherein the plurality of structures include a fin, crack, furrow, trench, cubic structure, or trapezoidal structure.
2 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises a heating wire comprising a conductive material.
3 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the structures of the modified surface of the heating element are generated via a mechanical treatment of the heating element.
4 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 3 , wherein the mechanical treatment comprises at least one of a grinding treatment and a sand-blasting treatment of the heating element.
5 . The electronic smoking device according claim 3 , wherein the mechanical treatment comprises at least one of polishing, brushing, milling, scouring, tumbling, drifting, shot-blasting, shot-blasting with steel balls and peening of the heating element.
6 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the structures of the modified surface of the heating element are generated via a chemical treatment of the heating element.
7 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 6 , wherein the chemical treatment comprises an etching treatment of the heating element.
8 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 6 , wherein the chemical treatment of the heating element comprises at least one of pickling, bating and bronzing of the heating element.
9 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the structures of the modified surface of the heating element are generated via a laser-etching treatment of the heating element.
10 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein the structures of the modified surface are configured to increase the total surface of the heating element.
11 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein the modified surface of the heating element has a maximum roughness R max that is greater than 0.5 mm.
12 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 , wherein the modified surface of the heating element has an average surface roughness R z of Y, wherein Yϵ[5 μm; 200 μm].
13 . The electronic smoking device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the modified surface has an arithmetical mean deviation R a that is greater than 5 μm.
14 . A method for the manufacturing of a heating element for an electronic smoking device, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a conductive material with a first terminal and a second terminal, respectively, for connection with a power source;
treating at least a fraction of a surface of the conductive material mechanically or chemically or using an external power source; and providing the fraction of the surface with a plurality of structures adapted to provide a capillary force on liquid of a liquid reservoir when applied onto the heating element, wherein the plurality of structures include a fin, crack, furrow, trench, cubic structure, or trapezoidal structure.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of treating comprises at least one of a grinding, a sand-blasting, a polishing, a brushing, a milling, a scouring, a tumbling, a drifting, a shot-blasting and a peening of the fraction of the surface of the conductive material.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of treating comprises at least one of an etching, a laser-etching, a pickling, a bating and a bronzing of the fraction of the surface of the conductive material.
17 . A method for the manufacturing of a heating element for an electronic smoking device, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a conductive material with a first terminal and a second terminal, respectively, for the connection with a power source; and
treating at least a fraction of a surface of the conductive material mechanically or chemically or using an external power source to provide a modified surface of the heating element, wherein the modified surface of the heating element includes a fin, crack, furrow, trench, cubic structure, or trapezoidal structure.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the modified surface comprises a plurality of structures adapted to provide a capillary force on liquid of a liquid reservoir when applied onto the heating element.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of treating comprises at least one of a grinding, a sand-blasting, a polishing, a brushing, a milling, a scouring, a tumbling, a drifting, a shot-blasting and a peening of the fraction of the surface of the conductive material.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of treating comprises at least one of an etching, a laser-etching, a pickling, a bating and a bronzing of the fraction of the surface of the conductive material.