Electronic cigarette
A vaporizing device for consuming a stimulant or a pharmaceutical substance by inhaling a vapour comprise a housing having an exit opening provided at one end of said housing, a vaporizer connected to said exit opening via a vapour conduit, said vaporizer having an electrically driven heating unit and a liquid exposure section that is heated by the heating unit to vaporize a liquid in said liquid exposure section, a liquid reservoir connected to said liquid exposure section via a liquid conduit, and an electrical energy storage unit electrically connected to said heating unit, wherein an electrical fluid level sensor is associated with said liquid reservoir, said fluid level sensor being arranged and adapted to produce a low-level-signal if the liquid level within said liquid reservoir is below a predetermined threshold.
1. A vaporizing device for consuming a stimulant or a pharmaceutical substance by inhaling a vapour comprising:
an elongated cylindrical housing having:
an exit opening provided at one end of the housing;
a vaporizer connected to the exit opening via a vapour conduit, the vaporizer having an electrically driven heating unit and a liquid exposure section heated by the heating unit to vaporize a liquid in the liquid exposure section;
a liquid reservoir adapted to contain the liquid connected to the liquid exposure section via a liquid conduit; and
an electrical energy storage unit electrically connected to the heating unit; and
an electrical fluid level sensor associated with the liquid reservoir, the fluid level sensor being arranged and adapted to produce a low-level-signal if a liquid level of the liquid within the liquid reservoir is below a predetermined threshold;
wherein the housing extends in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the exit opening is arranged at one end of the housing with respect to the longitudinal axis and the fluid level sensor is adapted and arranged to produce the low-level signal both if the level inside the liquid reservoir falls below the minimum level threshold or if the housing is not being oriented in a usual operational alignment range, the usual operational alignment range being defined by an orientation of the longitudinal axis in an angular range of +/−45° in relation to a horizontal plane, and wherein the usual operational alignment range is further defined by an angular rotation about the longitudinal axis of +/−45° in relation to a predetermined angular position about the longitudinal axis.
2. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , wherein the usual operational alignment range being defined by an orientation of the longitudinal axis in an angular range of +/−30° in relation to a horizontal plane and the usual operational alignment range is further defined by an angular rotation about the longitudinal axis of +/−30° in relation to a predetermined angular position about the longitudinal axis.
3. The vaporizing device of claim 2 , wherein the usual operational alignment range is further defined by an angular rotation about the longitudinal axis of +/−15° in relation to a predetermined angular position about the longitudinal axis.
4. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit coupled to the fluid level sensor and to the heating unit for signal transmission, wherein the control unit is adapted to reduce the supply of electrical energy by at least 40% to reduce the supply of electrical energy to the heating device if the control unit receives the low-level-signal from the fluid level sensor.
5. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit arranged inside the housing and coupled to the fluid level sensor and to an optical or acoustical user interface for signal transmission, wherein the control unit is adapted to control the optical or acoustical user interface for outputting an optical or acoustical signal, respectively, upon receipt of the low-level-signal by the control unit.
6. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid level sensor comprises at least one semiconductor element, wherein the liquid level sensor is adapted to determine a resistance of the semiconductor element and to output the low-level-signal depending on the resistance falling below a predetermined minimum threshold or rising above a predetermined maximum threshold, and wherein the semiconductor element is electrically connected to the electrical energy storage unit and is supplied with electrical energy.
7. The vaporizing device of claim 6 , and the exit opening is arranged at one end of the housing with respect to the longitudinal axis,
the semiconductor element is positioned inside the liquid reservoir to be immersed in and cooled by the liquid inside the liquid reservoir, and
the semiconductor element is not immersed in the liquid inside the liquid reservoir if the liquid level falls below a predetermined minimum liquid level threshold with the housing being oriented in the usual operational alignment range, the usual operational alignment range being defined by an orientation of the longitudinal axis in an angular range of +/−45° in relation to a horizontal plane, and wherein the usual operational alignment range is further defined by an angular rotation about the longitudinal axis of +/−45° in relation to a predetermined angular position about the longitudinal axis.
8. The vaporizing device of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor element is a PTC thermistor.
9. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid level sensor is a capacity detecting sensor forming a capacitor, wherein the capacity is dependent upon the fluid level in the liquid reservoir.
10. The vaporizing device of claim 9 , wherein an electrode of the capacitor is provided by an electrical plane element, or wherein a first and a second electrode of the capacitor are provided by at least two electrical plane elements, respectively, and
wherein each of the electrical plane elements comprise a metallic sheet or a metallic foil.
11. The vaporizing device of claim 9 , wherein a first and second electrode of the capacitor are arranged in a parallel arrangement to each other, such that the first and second electrode are arranged in a concentrical arrangement about an axis.
12. The vaporizing device of claim 11 , wherein the axis is the longitudinal axis of the housing.
13. The vaporizing device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of a first and a second electrode of the capacitor, defined by a first and second conductor element, respectively, are positioned inside the liquid reservoir and are in direct electrical contact with the liquid inside the liquid reservoir.
14. The vaporizing device of claim 9 , wherein the liquid reservoir comprises a section with a cylindrical shape about a longitudinal axis of the liquid reservoir, and wherein at least one of a first and a second electrode of the capacitor form a cylindrical shell about the longitudinal axis of the liquid reservoir.
15. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid level sensor comprises at least one electrical conductor element and a further electrical conductor element and the fluid level sensor is adapted to determine a capacity of a capacitor defined by a first electrode formed by the electrical conductor element, a second electrode formed by the further electrical conductor, and an electrically insulating space arranged between the first and second electrode, wherein the low level sensor is adapted to detect a capacity of the capacitor and the low-level-signal is generated depending on the capacity falling below a predetermined minimum threshold or rising above a predetermined maximum threshold, and wherein the insulating space is at least partially defined by a region of the liquid reservoir.
16. The vaporizing device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second electrode are arranged inside the liquid reservoir and in direct contact with the liquid, and separated and electrically insulated by the electrically insulating space, wherein the fluid level sensor is adapted to measure the capacity of the capacitor defined by the two electrical conductor elements and the electrically insulating space, wherein the low-level-signal is generated depending on the capacity falling below a predetermined minimum threshold or rising above a predetermined maximum threshold, and wherein the insulating space is at least partially filled by the liquid inside the liquid reservoir.
17. The vaporizing device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second electrode are arranged inside or outside the liquid reservoir and are insulated from the liquid and separated by a space, and wherein the fluid level sensor is adapted to measure the capacity of the capacitor defined by the electrodes and the electrically insulating space, wherein the low-level-signal is generated depending on the capacity falling below a predetermined minimum threshold or rising above a predetermined maximum threshold, wherein the space is at least partially filled by liquid inside the liquid reservoir.
18. The vaporizing device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid level sensor comprises a first electrical conductor element arranged adjacent to the liquid reservoir and electrically insulated from the liquid inside the liquid reservoir to form a first electrode of a capacitor and wherein a further electrical conductor is provided by a further conductor element being in direct electrical contact with the liquid contained in the liquid reservoir to form a second electrode of the capacitor, wherein the low level sensor is adapted to detect a capacity of the capacitor and the low-level-signal is generated depending on the capacity falling below a predetermined minimum threshold or rising above a predetermined maximum threshold, and wherein the insulating space is at least partially provided by a region of the liquid reservoir.
19. A liquid reservoir adapted to contain a liquid for a vaporizing device, the vaporizing device comprising an elongated cylindrical housing having:
an exit opening provided at one end of the housing;
a vaporizer connected to the exit opening via a vapour conduit, the vaporizer having an electrically driven heating unit and a liquid exposure section that is heated by the heating unit to vaporize the liquid in the liquid exposure section;
a liquid conduit connecting the liquid reservoir to the liquid exposure section; and
an electrical energy storage unit electrically connected to the heating unit;
wherein an electrical fluid level sensor is associated with the liquid reservoir, the fluid level sensor being arranged and adapted to produce a low-level-signal if a liquid level of the liquid within the liquid reservoir is below a predetermined threshold; and
wherein the housing extends in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the exit opening is arranged at one end of the housing with respect to the longitudinal axis and the fluid level sensor is adapted and arranged to produce the low-level signal both if the level inside the liquid reservoir falls below the minimum level threshold or if the housing is not being oriented in a usual operational alignment range, the usual operational alignment range being defined by an orientation of the longitudinal axis in an angular range of +/−45° in relation to a horizontal plane; and wherein the usual operational alignment range is further defined by an angular rotation about the longitudinal axis of +/−45° in relation to a predetermined angular position about the longitudinal axis.