阅读说明：本技术 一种用于电子烟之固定构件及电子烟组件之固定方法 (Fixing member for electronic cigarette and fixing method of electronic cigarette component ) 是由 付尧 阳祖刚 陶兴明 于 2019-11-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及了一种用于电子烟的固定构件及其固定方法。本发明提出的电子烟部件包括：一外壳,其具有一中空空间；一结构模块,其设置于所述外壳的所述中空空间的一预定位置；一固定构件,所述固定构件组装至所述结构模块,并将所述结构模块固定于所述外壳的所述中空空间中的所述预定位置。(The invention relates to a fixing component for an electronic cigarette and a fixing method thereof. The electronic cigarette component provided by the invention comprises: a housing having a hollow space; a structural module disposed at a predetermined position of the hollow space of the housing; a fixing member assembled to the structural module and fixing the structural module at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing.)

1. An electronic cigarette component, comprising:

a housing having a hollow space;

a structural module disposed at a predetermined position of the hollow space of the housing;

a fixing member assembled to the structural module and fixing the structural module at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing.

2. The electronic cigarette component of claim 1, wherein when the structural module is disposed at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing, a gap is provided between a portion of the structural module and an inner wall forming the hollow space of the housing, and the fixing member is inserted into the gap to assemble to the structural module and fix the structural module at the predetermined position of the housing.

3. The electronic cigarette component of claim 2, wherein part or all of an outside surface of the securing member contacts against the inner wall of the housing and part or all of an inside surface of the securing member contacts against a surrounding surface of the portion of the structural module.

4. The electronic vaping component of claim 2, wherein the gap formed between the portion of the structural module and the inner wall of the housing extends along a circumferential direction of the inner wall to form an annular gap.

5. The e-vapor component of claim 2, wherein the portion of the structural module is located at a top end of the structural module, the securing member having an annular structure or an arc-like structure corresponding to a contour shape of the gap.

6. The electronic cigarette component of claim 5, wherein the portion of the structural module has a stop that stops against the securing member when the securing member is inserted into the gap.

7. The electronic cigarette component of claim 6, wherein a lower surface of the securing member contacts a stop surface of the stop against the portion of the structural module.

8. The electronic smoking component according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the securing member has at least one tab bent radially inwardly at an angle, the at least one tab being folded back radially outwardly against a surrounding surface of the portion of the structural module when the securing member is inserted into the gap, such that after insertion of the securing member into the gap, the at least one tab enters the gap to secure the structural module.

9. The electronic smoke component of claim 8, wherein a surface of the at least one tab has a protrusion that abuts against the inner wall of the housing when the at least one tab enters the gap.

10. The electronic vaping component of claim 9, wherein the inner wall of the housing has at least one groove to receive the protrusion of the at least one tab.

11. The electronic cigarette component of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the gap has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape, and wherein a cross-sectional shape of the securing member corresponds to the wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape of the gap.

12. The electronic smoke component of any one of claims 2-7 and 11, wherein an upper surface of the securing member is flush with the top end of the structural module when the securing member is inserted into the gap.

13. A method of securing an assembly of electronic cigarette components, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a housing having a hollow space;

(b) providing a structural module and inserting the structural module into the hollow space at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of the housing;

(c) providing a fixing member, inserting the fixing member into the hollow space in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and assembling the fixing member to the structural module to fix the structural module at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in step (b) a gap is formed between a portion of the structural module and an inner wall forming the hollow space of the housing, and in step (c) the securing member is assembled to the structural module with the member inserted into the gap to secure the structural module at the predetermined location of the housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (c), when the securing member is assembled to the structural module, a portion or all of an outside surface of the securing member contacts against the inner wall of the housing and a portion or all of an inside surface of the securing member contacts against a surrounding surface of the portion of the structural module.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the gap formed between the portion of the structural module and the inner wall of the housing extends along a circumferential direction of the inner wall to form an annular gap.

17. The e-vapor component of claim 14, wherein the portion of the structural module is located at a top end of the structural module, the securing member having an annular structure or an arc-like structure corresponding to a contour shape of the gap.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the portion of the structural module has a stop, and in step (c) the stop stops against the securing member when the securing member is inserted into the gap.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a lower surface of the securing member contacts a stop surface of the stop against the portion of the structural module.

20. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the fixing member has at least one tab bent radially inwardly at an angle, and in step (c) the at least one tab is folded back radially outwardly against the peripheral surface of the portion of the structural module when the fixing member is inserted into the gap, such that after insertion of the fixing member into the gap, the at least one tab enters the gap to fix the structural module.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a surface of the at least one tab has a protrusion that abuts the inner wall of the housing after the at least one tab enters the gap.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the inner wall of the housing has at least one groove to receive the protrusion of the at least one tab.

23. The method of any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the gap has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the fixation member corresponds to the wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape of the gap.

24. The method of any of claims 14 to 18 and 23, wherein an upper surface of the securing member is flush with the top end of the structural module when the securing member is inserted into the gap.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a fastening device, and more particularly to a fastening member for an e-cigarette providing an inhalable aerosol (aerosol) and a method of fastening an e-cigarette component.

Background

An electronic cigarette is an electronic product that heats and atomizes a volatile solution and generates an aerosol for a user to inhale. In recent years, various electronic cigarette products have been produced by large manufacturers. Generally, an electronic cigarette product includes a housing, an oil chamber, an atomizing chamber, a heating element, an air inlet, an air flow channel, an air outlet, a power supply device, a sensing device and a control device. The oil storage chamber is used for storing the volatile solution, and the heating assembly is used for heating and atomizing the volatile solution and generating the aerosol. The air inlet and the aerosolizing chamber communicate with one another to provide air to the heating assembly when a user inhales. The aerosol generated by the heating element is first generated in the aerosolizing chamber and then inhaled by the user via the air flow passage and the air outlet. The power supply device provides the electric power required by the heating component, and the control device controls the heating time of the heating component according to the user inspiration action detected by the sensing device. The shell covers the above components.

The existing electronic cigarette products have different defects. For example, if it is necessary to fix the structural module formed by the aforementioned components, such as the power supply device, the sensing device and the control device, at a specific position in the housing, the structural module is usually fixed at the predetermined position in the housing by using an adhesive, or by punching more than one through hole on the housing and inserting the pin member through the through hole on the housing to engage or insert the pin member into the corresponding position of the internal component to be fixed, so as to fix the internal component at the predetermined position in the housing, and the internal component to be fixed will not move relative to the housing in any use state after being fixed. However, the conventional fixing method has a drawback in that if the fixing method using an adhesive is used, the fixing position of the component to be fixed is difficult to be precisely uniform or the problem of glue overflow is easily caused due to improper operation of the adhesion process. In addition, the fixing method using the adhesive may also affect the fixing effect due to the adhesive being deteriorated due to the usage temperature of the electronic cigarette after the electronic cigarette is used for a long time.

As for the way of fixing the internal components to the housing by punching more than one through hole in the housing of the electronic cigarette and inserting the pin member, the processes of drilling the housing and inserting the pin member for fixing must be added. Such a process would increase the time for product manufacture. In addition, because the housing of the electronic cigarette is relatively thin and light, the difficulty of drilling is high, the housing is easily damaged to reduce the yield, and the fixing method also requires the close fit precision between the pin and the hole, which leads to the increase of the manufacturing cost.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a fixing member for quickly fixing an internal component or a structural module of an electronic cigarette and a fixing method thereof.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing member for fixing an electronic cigarette internal structure module, so that the electronic cigarette internal structure module does not slide or move relative to an electronic cigarette outer casing in any use state.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for fixing an internal structure of an electronic cigarette, so that the internal structure module of the electronic cigarette will not slide or move relative to the housing of the electronic cigarette in any use state.

In view of the above, the present invention provides an electronic cigarette component, which includes: a housing having a hollow space; a structural module disposed at a predetermined position of the hollow space of the housing; a fixing member assembled to the structural module and fixing the structural module at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing.

Based on the above object, the present invention further provides a method for fixing a part of an electronic cigarette component, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a shell with a hollow space; (b) providing a structural module and inserting the structural module into the hollow space at a predetermined position along a longitudinal direction of the housing; (c) providing a fixing member, inserting the fixing member into the hollow space in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and assembling the fixing member to the structural module to fix the structural module at the predetermined position in the hollow space of the housing.

Drawings

Aspects of the invention are readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the various features may not be drawn to scale and that the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2A shows an assembly diagram of the components of the body of an electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the components in FIG. 2A are assembled into a body.

Fig. 3A and 3B show component diagrams of the structural module shown in fig. 2A.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the structural module in the housing.

Fig. 5 shows a partially enlarged sectional view of the fixing member inserted into the gap to fix the structural module.

Fig. 6 shows a fixation member according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the fixing member beginning to enter the gap between the inner wall of the housing and the annular wall.

Fig. 8 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the fixing member assembled to the annular wall of the structural module.

Fig. 9 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the size of the gap between the inner wall of the housing and the annular wall.

Fig. 10 shows a partial enlarged view of the fixing structure of fig. 6.

Fig. 11A to 11C show fixing members of other embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the structure of a housing of a main body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13A shows a cross-sectional view of a structural module and a structural configuration of a fixing member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the structure of fig. 13A.

Fig. 14 shows a fixing member according to other embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 15 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a fixation member assembled to an annular wall according to another embodiment of the invention.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to refer to the same or like components. The features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Detailed Description

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In the present disclosure, references in the following description to the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature may include embodiments in which the first feature is formed in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The particular embodiments discussed are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette according to some embodiments of the invention.

The electronic cigarette 1 may be composed of a cartridge (cartridge)2 and a main body 3. In one embodiment, both the cartridge 2 and the body 3 can be designed as one piece. In another embodiment, the cartridge 2 and the body 3 may be designed as two separate components, and the cartridge 2 may be designed to be removably coupled to the body 3. In addition, in other embodiments, when the cartridge 2 is combined with the body 3, the cartridge 2 may be designed in a configuration in which a portion thereof is received in the body 3. For example, in the structure of the electronic cigarette 1 shown in fig. 1, the cartridge 2 is composed of a mouthpiece cover 21, a cartridge housing 22, and an internal module 23 disposed inside the cartridge housing 22. The cartridge housing 22 and the internal module 23 of the cartridge 2 may form or include a storage compartment for a volatile solution, a sealing assembly, an atomization chamber, a heating assembly top cover, a heating assembly base, and a cartridge base, among other components (not shown). The volatile solution is heat atomized and an aerosol is generated by a cartridge 2 having an air inlet in communication with the atomizing chamber for providing air to the heating element when a user inhales. The aerosol generated by the heating element is first generated in the aerosolizing chamber and then inhaled by the user via the air flow passage and the air outlet.

According to the structure disclosed in fig. 1, the housing 22 of the cartridge 2 can be inserted into the hollow space 32 of the housing 31 of the main body 3 along the longitudinal direction of the main body 3, so that the cartridge 2 can be removably assembled and received in the main body 3 to form the integral structure of the electronic cigarette 1.

Fig. 2A illustrates an assembly view of components of a body 3 of an electronic cigarette component according to some embodiments of the invention, and fig. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembly in fig. 2A in a state of the body 3. As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the components of the main body 3 include a housing 31, a structural module 4, and a fixing member 5. The housing 31 is a thin case defining a hollow space 32 therein, and as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the housing 31 defines an opening 33 communicating with the hollow space 32 at a lower end thereof in the longitudinal direction. The thin housing of the housing 31 can be made of, but not limited to, metal material such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, etc.

Fig. 3A and 3B show a part view of the structural module 4 shown in fig. 2A. It should be understood that the structural module 4 shown in fig. 2A-3B is only an exemplary structure and is not intended to limit the detailed components of similar structural modules in an electronic cigarette. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the structural module 4 includes a structural module support 41, a sensor module 42, a sealing component 43, a conductive component 44, a magnetic component 45, a power sub-module 46, and a circuit board support 47. The sensor module 42 includes a sensor cover 421 and a sensor 422. The power sub-module 46 includes a circuit board 461, a flat cable 462, a vibrator 463, a charging assembly 464, a battery assembly 465, and a cushioning assembly 466.

The top of the structural module holder 41 has a portion of an annular wall 411, the annular wall 411 being recessed in the middle to define a cavity 412 for receiving the sensor top 421 therein, and the structural module holder 41 being formed with a groove 413 in the circumferential direction below the annular wall 411 for receiving the seal member 43 therein. The top surface of the annular wall 411 is provided with a hole h1 for receiving the magnetic element 45 therein. The magnetic assembly 45 may be a permanent magnet that is magnetic in nature, or an electromagnet that is only magnetic after power is applied. The magnetic element 45 is used to attract the metal element 24, for example, in a position corresponding to the lower end of the inner module 23 of the cartridge 2, so as to removably couple the cartridge 2 with the body 3.

The sensor upper lid 421 has holes h2 and h 3. The hole h2 may receive the conductive member 44. Aperture h3 is in fluid communication with sensor 422. The sensor 422 can detect changes in properties such as airflow generation, pressure changes, or sound waves via the hole h 3.

The circuit board 461 is disposed between the circuit board support 47 and the structure module support 41. The circuit board 461 includes a controller C thereon. The controller C may be a microprocessor, programmable integrated circuit, or programmable logic circuit. In some embodiments, the arithmetic logic within the controller C cannot be changed after the controller C is manufactured. In some embodiments, the operational logic within the controller C may be programmatically altered after manufacture of the controller C.

The circuit board 461 may also include a memory (not shown). In some embodiments, the memory may be integrated within the controller C. In some embodiments, the memory may be provided separately from the controller C.

Controller C may be electrically connected to sensor 422 and may be electrically connected to conductive member 44. Controller C is also electrically connected to battery assembly 465. When sensor 422 detects an airflow, a change in air pressure, or a sound wave, controller C may control battery assembly 465 to output power to conductive element 44. For example, when sensor 422 detects a negative pressure, controller C may control battery element 465 to output power to conductive element 44. Also, when the controller C determines that the air pressure detected by the sensor 422 is below a threshold value, the controller C may control the battery element 465 to output power to the conductive element 44. Also, when the controller C determines that the amplitude of the sound wave detected by the sensor 422 is higher than a threshold value, the controller C may control the battery element 465 to output power to the conductive element 44.

The vibrator 463 may be electrically connected to the controller C. In some embodiments, the vibrator 463 is electrically connected to the controller C on the circuit board 461 via a flat cable 462. The controller C may control the vibrator 463 to generate different somatosensory effects according to different operation states of the electronic cigarette 1. In some embodiments, controller C may control vibrator 463 to vibrate to alert the user to stop inhaling when the user inhales for more than a certain length of time. In some embodiments, when the user charges the e-cigarette 1, the controller C may control the vibrator 463 to vibrate to indicate that charging has begun. In some embodiments, when the charging of the e-cigarette 1 has been completed, the controller C may control the vibrator 463 to vibrate to indicate that the charging has been completed.

The charging assembly 464 is used to charge the battery assembly 465. One end of the charging member 464 is exposed through a through hole 33 at the lower end of the housing 31 of the main body 3, whereby the user can charge the battery member 465 by connecting the power supply connector to the charging member 464. In certain embodiments, the charging component 464 comprises a USB interface. In certain embodiments, the charging component 464 comprises a USB Type-C interface.

Referring to fig. 3A, the structural module support 41 further includes a first receiving space 414, a second receiving space 415, a third receiving space 416 and a fourth receiving space 417 in sequence along the longitudinal direction. The first receiving space 414 is located below the groove 413. The first receiving space 414 can receive the sensor 422, the circuit board 462 and the conductive member 44. In particular, the structure module support 41 may be combined with the circuit board support 47 to form the first accommodating space 414 and to cover the sensor 422, the circuit board 462 and the conductive member 44. The battery pack 465 may be mounted on the structural module support 41 and disposed in the second receiving space 415, the vibrator 463 may be mounted on the structural module support 41 and disposed in the third receiving space 416, and the charging pack 464 may be mounted on the structural module support 41 and disposed in the fourth receiving space 417. As shown in fig. 3A, the receiving spaces 414, 415, 416 and 417 are defined by ribs or partitions. In addition, a buffer member 466 may be provided on the surface 465S of the battery module 465, and when the battery module 465 is mounted in the second receiving space 415 of the structural module support 41, the buffer member 466 is located between the battery module 465 and the inner wall of the housing 31 of the main body 3. The cushioning member 466 directly contacts the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 of the main body 3. Although not shown, it is contemplated that an additional cushioning element may be disposed between battery element 465 and structural element support 41.

In addition, the housing 31 of the main body 3 includes a light-transmitting hole 311. The light-transmissive holes 311 may include one or more holes that penetrate the housing 31. In some embodiments, the light hole 311 may be a substantially circular hole. In some embodiments, the light hole 311 may be a substantially rectangular through hole. In some embodiments, the light hole 311 may be a through hole with a symmetrical shape. In some embodiments, the light hole 311 may be a through hole with an asymmetric shape. One or more light emitting elements may be disposed on the circuit board 461, and light emitted from the light emitting elements is emitted through the light hole 311 and is visible (visible) to the naked eye of the user.

As can be seen from fig. 2A and 2B, the assembled structure module 4 is inserted into the hollow space 32 of the housing 31 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 of the main body 3 until the charging assembly 464 is located at the position of the opening 33 at the bottom end of the housing 31 for the user to perform the charging operation. At this time, the structural module 4 is located in a predetermined assembly position in the housing 31, and as shown in fig. 2B, the outer side of the sealing member 43 located in the groove 413 of the structural module support contacts the inner wall 34 forming the hollow space 32 of the housing 31.

After the structure module 4 is inserted into the housing 31 and placed at the predetermined assembly position, the fixing member 5 is inserted into the hollow space 32 of the housing 31 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 of the main body 3 until the fixing member 5 is finally located between the annular wall 411 above the structure module bracket 41 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 and abuts against between the annular wall 411 and the inner wall 34, thereby fixing the structure module 4 at the predetermined assembly position.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the structural module 4 in a predetermined assembly position in the housing 31. As can be seen from fig. 4, the outer side of the sealing member 43 contacts the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 of the main body 3 when the structural module 4 is in the predetermined position, separating the hollow space 32 in the longitudinal direction. The sealing member 43 may be made of natural rubber or synthetic rubber to provide a seal between the groove 413 of the structural module support 41 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 of the main body 3. In addition, a gap g having a substantially rectangular cross section is formed between the peripheral surface of the annular wall 411 at the top end of the structural module holder 41 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the gap g extends along the circumferential direction of the annular wall 411 or the inner wall 34, and preferably extends to form an annular gap. The lower portion of the annular wall 411 extends radially outward to form a stopping portion 4111, the stopping portion 4111 and the annular wall 411 form a step-like structure, and a stopping surface S is formed on the stopping portion 4111.

Fig. 5 shows a partially enlarged sectional view of the fixing member 5 inserted into the gap g along the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 to fix the structural module 4 at a predetermined position. As can be seen from fig. 5, the fixing member 5 is assembled and connected to the annular wall 411 at the top end of the structural module 4 to fill the gap g between the annular wall 411 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, and the whole or part of each of the inner surface 51 and the outer surface 52 of the fixing member 5 is used to contact and abut against the outer surface of the annular wall 411 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, respectively, thereby fixing the structural module 4 at a predetermined position, so that when a user inserts a charging plug into the charging assembly 464 for charging or in other use states, the assembled structural module 4 and the housing 31 will not slide or move relative to each other to cause the structural module 4 to leave the predetermined fixed position.

Furthermore, since the stopping portion 4111 is disposed below the annular wall 411 of the structure module holder 4, when the fixing member 5 enters the gap g downward in the hollow space 32 of the housing 31 along the longitudinal direction, the lower surface 53 of the fixing member 5 will finally abut against the stopping surface S of the stopping portion 4111, in addition to abutting against the outer surface of the annular wall 411 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, respectively, and reaches a parking position shown in fig. 5. By the structure that the lower surface 53 of the fixing member 5 abuts against the stopping surface S of the stopping portion 4111, when a user inserts the charging plug into the charging assembly 464 of the structure module 4 from below the main body 3, the lower surface 53 of the fixing member 5 can help bear the upward force from the stopping portion 4111, and further prevent the structure module 4 from sliding on the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 and leaving the predetermined fixing position.

Fig. 6 shows a fixing member 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 6, the fixing member 5 has an annular structure corresponding to the contour or shape of the inner wall 34 or the gap g so as to be capable of being inserted between the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 and the annular wall 411 of the structural module support 41 to fix the structural module 4. In other embodiments, the fixing member 5 may also have an arc-shaped structure with a contour or shape corresponding to the inner wall 34 or the gap g, instead of a closed ring-shaped structure. Fig. 6 shows a fixing member 5 having an inner surface 51, an outer surface 52, a lower surface 53 and an upper surface 54.

In addition, the upper portion of the fixing member 5 may have at least one or a plurality of tab portions 55 (in fig. 6, the fixing member 5 has four tab portions 55), which are bent radially inward by an angle a (see fig. 7), and vertical gaps 56 are formed at both sides of the tab portions 55. In addition, each tab portion 55 may also have a protrusion 551 thereon. The tab portion 55 is bent radially inward and the gaps 56 on both sides of the tab portion 55 are formed so that the tab portion 55 is flexible and can be folded back in a radially outward direction. In fig. 6, the bottom of the gap 56 defines the boundary between the upper and lower portions of the fixing member 5, and the lower portion assumes a ring-like structure. The fixing member 5 may be made of metal, such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel or copper, or plastic, and the invention is not limited to the material of the fixing structure 5 as long as the material used makes the tab portion 55 flexible.

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of the fixing member 5 starting to enter the gap g between the inner wall 34 and the annular wall 411 of the structural module support 41. Fig. 8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the relative positions of the fixing member 5 and the housing 31 and the structural module 41 when the fixing member 5 enters the gap g and reaches the final position abutting against the stop surface S of the stop portion 4111 of the annular wall 411. As can be seen from fig. 7 and 8, when manufacturing the electronic cigarette, after the structural module 4 is inserted into the hollow space 34 of the housing 31 and placed in a predetermined assembly position, the fixing structure 5 will then be inserted into the hollow space 34 of the housing 31 in the longitudinal direction, so that the annular lower portion of the fixing member 5 starts to enter the gap g. Fig. 7 shows the condition that the annular lower portion of the fixing member 5 enters the gap g, and the tab 55 bent radially inward of the fixing member 5 has not yet contacted the top end periphery of the annular wall 411, and thus is not pushed by the top end periphery of the annular wall 411 to be folded back radially outward. As the fixing member 5 continues to move downward in the longitudinal direction, the top end periphery and the peripheral outer surface of the annular wall 411 of the structural module support 41 start to abut against the upper portion of the fixing member 5, and the radially inwardly bent tab 55 of the fixing member 5 starts to be radially outwardly abutted and folded back by the top end periphery and the peripheral outer surface of the annular wall 411 until the lower surface 53 of the fixing member 5 is stopped by the surface S of the stopper 4111 to reach the final position. At this time, the fixing member 5 completely enters the gap g, and the tab 55 is completely folded back into a substantially vertical form in the gap g by being abutted by the annular wall 411, and the inner side surface 51 of the fixing member 5 contacts the outer surface of the abutting annular wall 411, and the projection 551 of the tab 55 of the fixing member 5 is deformed by being pressed by the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, so that the projection 551 of the fixing member 5 contacts the inner wall 34 of the housing 315. Due to the flexibility of the tab 55, the outer surface of the annular wall 411 is clamped, and the protrusion 551 of the tab 55 is deformed to generate a pressing force on the inner wall 34, so that the fixing member 5 can firmly fix the position of the structural module 4, and prevent the relative movement or sliding between the structural module 4 and the housing 31 from moving away from the correct predetermined assembly position. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7 and 8, it can be seen that the radial thickness of the fixing member 5 is slightly smaller than the width of the gap g, and then by the pressing deformation of the structure of the protrusion 551, a part of the inner surface of the fixing member 5 is abutted against the outer surface of the annular wall 411, and a part of the outer surface of the fixing member 5 (i.e. the deformed surface of the protrusion 551 in fig. 8) is abutted against the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, so as to firmly fix the position of the structural module 4. However, in other embodiments, the radial thickness of the fixing member 5 may be set to be equal to the width of the gap g, so that after the fixing member 5 is inserted into the gap g and the protrusion 551 is deformed, the whole of the inner surface 51 of the fixing member 5 completely abuts against the outer surface of the annular wall 411, and the whole of the outer surface 52 of the fixing member 5 also completely abuts against the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, thereby firmly fixing the position of the structural module 4.

Fig. 9 shows the structural dimensions of the gap g between the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 and the annular wall 411 of the structural module 4. Fig. 10 is a partially enlarged view of the fixing structure 5 shown in fig. 6 to show the structural size thereof. As shown in fig. 9, the gap g has a width W1 and a depth D1, the width W1 matching the thickness of the fixing member 5 such that all or part of the inner side surface 51 of the fixing member 5 contacts and abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the annular wall 411 of the structural module 4 and all or part of the outer side surface 52 contacts and abuts against the inner wall 34 of the housing 31. For example, the fixing member 5 can be tightly clamped in the gap g by means of interference fit or tight fit, so that the structural module 4 is tightly fixed at a predetermined position in the hollow space 32 of the housing 31.

The width W1 of the gap g may have a dimension of between 0.3mm and 1.0mm, preferably between 0.4mm and 0.6mm, and the depth D1 may be between 1mm and 10mm, preferably between 3mm and 5 mm. As further shown in FIG. 10, the overall height H1 of the fixing member 5 may be approximately 2mm to 5mm, preferably 2.5mm to 3.5mm, the width W2 of the gap 56 may be approximately 0.1mm to 0.6mm, preferably 0.3mm to 0.5mm, and the depth of the gap 56 is approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of the height H1 of the fixing member 5. The diameter of the bottom of the dome-shaped projection 551 is preferably 0.9mm, and the projection 551 preferably protrudes from the outer surface 52 of the fixing member 5 by a height of about 0.2 mm. Further, the distance D3 from the top edge of the tab 55 to the uppermost edge of the bottom of the protrusion 55 may be about 0.3 mm.

The fixing member 5 is not limited to the form shown in fig. 6. FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C show alternative embodiments of retaining member configurations. In FIG. 11A, the retaining member 5 'is substantially the same as the retaining member 5 shown in FIG. 6, except that the annular body has a break-off gap g1 such that the retaining member 5' does not assume a closed annular body. The spacing g1 must be dimensioned such that the fixing members 5' serve the purpose of fixing the structural module 4 in the hollow space 32 of the housing 31. The fixing structure 5' shown in fig. 11A can be directly manufactured from raw material in a stamping mode, which has the advantages of fast and cost-effective part manufacturing.

The difference between the securing member 5 "shown in fig. 11B and the securing member 5 shown in fig. 6 is that the tabs 55" are not bent radially inwardly at an angle. However, the fixing member 5 ″ shown in fig. 11B still has the protrusion 551", and the remaining dimensional features of the fixing member 5 ″ can be the same as those of the fixing member 5 shown in fig. 6, so that the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the fixing member 5 ″ can still contact and abut against the outer peripheral surface of the annular wall 411 of the structure module 4 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, respectively, so that the fixing member 5 ″ is tightly clamped in the gap g, and the structure module 4 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the hollow space 32 of the housing 31.

The difference between the fastening member 5"' shown in fig. 11C and the fastening member 5 shown in fig. 6 is that the tabs 55" ' are not bent radially inward at an angle, and the tabs 55 "' also do not have a protruding structure. Thus, the radial thickness of the fixing member 5 '"is set to be substantially the same as the width W1 of the gap g (e.g. by a tight-fitting dimensioning), and the remaining dimensional characteristics of the fixing member 5 can be the same as the fixing member 5 shown in fig. 6, so that the inner and outer side surfaces of the fixing member 5'" can still respectively tightly contact and abut against the outer circumferential surface of the annular wall 411 of the structure module 4 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31, so that the fixing member 5 "is tightly clamped in the gap g, and the structure module 4 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the hollow space 32 of the housing 31.

It should be noted that the height of the fixing means may be such that the upper surface of the fixing means is flush or coplanar with the upper surface of the annular wall 411 of the structural module 4 when the fixing means are inserted into the final position in the gap g of the hollow space 32 of the casing 31. However, the height of the fixing element can also be such that, in the final position, the upper surface of the fixing element is higher or lower than the upper surface of the annular wall 411 of the structural module 4, without affecting the fixing action of the fixing element.

The present invention fig. 12 shows the structure of the housing 31 of the main body 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from fig. 12, at least one groove 35 is formed on inner side wall 34 of housing 31 of main body 3, and groove 35 is formed on inner side wall 34 at a position corresponding to the position of protrusion 551 of tab 55 of fixing structure 5 when fixing structure 5 is inserted into gap g and contacts stop surface S of annular step 411 abutting against structure module holder 41, so that at least a portion of protrusion 551 enters groove 35 to further fix structure module 4 at a predetermined position in hollow space 32 of housing 31. Alternatively, the groove 35 may be an annular groove extending in the circumferential direction of the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 to receive at least a portion of the projection 551 of the fastener 5 to secure the structural module 4. The recess depth of the groove 35 is preferably not more than one-half the thickness of the housing 31.

The fixing member of the present invention is not limited to the type of the fixing member disclosed above. FIG. 13A discloses a structural configuration of a structural module and a fastening member according to another embodiment of the present invention. In fig. 13A, the structure of the body of the electronic cigarette is the same except that the structure of the ring-shaped wall and the fixing member at the top end of the structural module support is different from the previously disclosed structure. FIG. 13B is a partial enlarged view of the structure of FIG. 13A, wherein the annular wall 411 of the structure module holder 41 in FIG. 13B is inclined and extended from the top end to the stopping portion 4111 along the longitudinal direction, so as to form a structure in which the radial dimension and the peripheral dimension of the top end are small and the radial dimension and the peripheral dimension of the bottom end are large, so that the cross section of the gap g between the annular wall 411 and the inner wall 34 of the housing 31 is formed into a wedge shape, and in order to match the profile of the gap g and the cross section of the wedge shape, the fixing member 5 is correspondingly formed into a ring-shaped or arc-shaped structure (as shown in FIG. 13B and FIG. 14) having a cross section conforming to the profile and the wedge-shaped cross section of the inner wall 34 and the gap g, so that when the fixing member 5 is inserted into the gap g to fix the structure module 4, the outer side surface of the fixing member 5 contacts the inner wall 34 of the abutting against the housing, the lower surface of the fixing member 5 abuts against the surface S of the blocking portion 4111. The dimensions of the fixing member 5 and the gap g may be designed to be, for example, dimensions that are closely fitted to each other so that, when the fixing member 5 is inserted into the gap g in the longitudinal direction to its parking position after the structural module 41 is inserted into the hollow space 32 of the housing 31 in the longitudinal direction and reaches a predetermined position, the structural module can be tightly fixed to the predetermined position of the hollow space 32 of the housing 31, as shown in fig. 15. In this embodiment, the fixing member 5 has a wedge shape with an upper surface having a larger radial thickness or dimension than a lower surface having a larger radial thickness or dimension, and when a user performs an operation to charge the battery assembly 465 by inserting the connector into the charging assembly 464, the user pushes the structure module 4 upward in the longitudinal direction, and the wedge shape of the fixing member 5 can prevent the structure module 4 from sliding upward relative to the inner wall 32 of the housing 3, so as to fix the structure module 4 under any use condition.

According to the fixing member for the electronic cigarette provided by the invention, the position of the structural module positioned in the shell of the electronic cigarette can be effectively fixed by a simple assembly method, and the structural module and the inner wall of the shell of the electronic cigarette are prevented from sliding relatively under any use condition. The fixing member of the present invention has a simple structure, and the assembling method is simpler than the conventional structure, so as to effectively save the production cost and increase the production efficiency.

As used herein, the terms "approximately," "substantially," "essentially," and "about" are used to describe and account for minor variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, the terms can refer to an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs precisely as well as an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs in close proximity. As used herein with respect to a given value or range, the term "about" generally means within ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1%, or ± 0.5% of the given value or range. Ranges may be expressed herein as from one end point to another end point or between two end points. Unless otherwise specified, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints. The term "substantially coplanar" may refer to two surfaces located within a few micrometers (μm) along the same plane, e.g., within 10 μm, within 5 μm, within 1 μm, or within 0.5 μm located along the same plane. When referring to "substantially" the same numerical value or property, the term can refer to values that are within ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1%, or ± 0.5% of the mean of the stated values.

As used herein, the terms "approximately," "substantially," "essentially," and "about" are used to describe and explain minor variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, the terms can refer to an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs precisely as well as an instance in which the event or circumstance occurs in close proximity. For example, when used in conjunction with numerical values, the terms can refer to a range of variation that is less than or equal to ± 10% of the stated numerical value, e.g., less than or equal to ± 5%, less than or equal to ± 4%, less than or equal to ± 3%, less than or equal to ± 2%, less than or equal to ± 1%, less than or equal to ± 0.5%, less than or equal to ± 0.1%, or less than or equal to ± 0.05%. For example, two numerical values are considered to be "substantially" or "about" the same if the difference between the two numerical values is less than or equal to ± 10% (e.g., less than or equal to ± 5%, less than or equal to ± 4%, less than or equal to ± 3%, less than or equal to ± 2%, less than or equal to ± 1%, less than or equal to ± 0.5%, less than or equal to ± 0.1%, or less than or equal to ± 0.05%) of the mean of the values. For example, "substantially" parallel may refer to a range of angular variation of less than or equal to ± 10 ° from 0 °, e.g., less than or equal to ± 5 °, less than or equal to ± 4 °, less than or equal to ± 3 °, less than or equal to ± 2 °, less than or equal to ± 1 °, less than or equal to ± 0.5 °, less than or equal to ± 0.1 °, or less than or equal to ± 0.05 °. For example, "substantially" perpendicular may refer to a range of angular variation of less than or equal to ± 10 ° from 90 °, e.g., less than or equal to ± 5 °, less than or equal to ± 4 °, less than or equal to ± 3 °, less than or equal to ± 2 °, less than or equal to ± 1 °, less than or equal to ± 0.5 °, less than or equal to ± 0.1 °, or less than or equal to ± 0.05 °.

For example, two surfaces may be considered coplanar or substantially coplanar if the displacement between the two surfaces is equal to or less than 5 μm, equal to or less than 2 μm, equal to or less than 1 μm, or equal to or less than 0.5 μm. A surface may be considered planar or substantially planar if the displacement of the surface relative to the plane between any two points on the surface is equal to or less than 5 μm, equal to or less than 2 μm, equal to or less than 1 μm, or equal to or less than 0.5 μm.

As used herein, the singular terms "a" and "the" may include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the description of some embodiments, a component provided "on" or "over" another component may encompass the case where the preceding component is directly on (e.g., in physical contact with) the succeeding component, as well as the case where one or more intervening components are located between the preceding and succeeding components.

As used herein, spatially relative terms, such as "below," "lower," "above," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one component or feature's relationship to another component or feature as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present.

As used herein, the terms "about," "substantially," "generally," and "about" are used to describe and account for minor variations. When used in conjunction with an event or circumstance, the terms can refer to the situation in which the event or circumstance occurs explicitly, as well as the situation in which the event or circumstance occurs in close proximity. As used herein with respect to a given value or range, the term "about" generally means within ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1%, or ± 0.5% of the given value or range. Ranges may be expressed herein as from one end point to another end point or between two end points. Unless otherwise specified, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints. The term "substantially coplanar" may refer to two surfaces located along the same plane within a few microns (μm), such as within 10 μm, within 5 μm, within 1 μm, or within 0.5 μm. When referring to "substantially" the same numerical value or characteristic, the term can refer to a value that is within ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1% or ± 0.5% of the mean of the stated values.

The foregoing summarizes features of several embodiments and detailed aspects of the present disclosure. The embodiments described in this disclosure may be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same or similar purposes and/or obtaining the same or similar advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.