1. An electronic cigarette device, comprising an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette case for accommodating the electronic cigarette, wherein the electronic cigarette case is set with a first magnetic part at a position thereof coupled to the electronic cigarette, and the electronic cigarette correspondingly has a second magnetic part to absorb the first magnetic part whereby the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette case are firmly engaged;
the electronic cigarette case has a first battery and a first connector at a position coupled to the electronic cigarette, the first connector comprises a first socket, a first pole disposed in center of the first socket, and a first insulating bush inserted between the first socket and the first pole so as to isolate the first socket from the first pole;
said electronic cigarette comprises an inhaling shell and a power shell; said power shell is wholly shaped as a cylinder; the power shell is set with a second battery therein, and one end of the power shell is set with a second connector which is connected with the second battery and is coupled to the first connector of the electronic cigarette case;
said second connector comprises a second socket, a second pole disposed in center of the second socket, and a second insulating bush inserted between the second socket and the second pole for insulating the second socket from the second pole; and said second socket and the second pole are respectively connected with either anode or cathode of the second battery inside the power shell; and
said second pole is inserted in the second insulating bush, a stop ring is formed on a section of the second pole within the second socket, a spring is fitted on the section of the second pole within the second socket, and both ends of the spring respectively abut against the stop ring and an inner end wall of the second socket whereby the second pole keeps extending outwards.
2. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 1, wherein the first socket is made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials, and is configured as the first magnetic part; or the first connector is set with an independent structural member made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials as the first magnetic part.
3. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic cigarette case comprises a main body with an open top, a frame inside the main body for accommodating the electronic cigarette, a cover movably engaged on the open top of the main body, and a power assembly set on the frame.
4. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 3, wherein said power assembly comprises the first connector, the first battery disposed in a battery groove at a bottom of the frame, a power port extending to an outer wall of the main body and connected with the first battery, and a printed circuit board (PCB with a power charging control circuit therein and connected with the first battery; the first socket and the first pole of the first connector are electrically connected with the PCB by wires; and the first connector, the first battery and the power port are all integrated on the PCB.
5. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 1, wherein said second socket is made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials and is configured as the second magnetic part; or the second connector is set with an independent structural member made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials as the second magnetic part.
6. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 1, wherein said power shell has a joint sleeve at its end with the second connector, the second connector is disposed in an inner end of the joint sleeve, while the joint sleeve in its outer end defines a taper hole with a bigger front portion and a smaller rear portion, and the first socket of the first connector correspondingly has its front end configured as a cone with a smaller front portion and a bigger rear portion.
7. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 5, wherein said inhaling shell and the power shell is detachably connected; said inhaling shell comprises an inhaling tube, an atomizer and a tobacco-liquid cup disposed in the inhaling tube, a mouthpiece cover disposed at one end of the inhaling tube, and a third connector disposed at the other end of the inhaling tube for being coupled to the second connector of the power shell; said third connector comprises a third socket, a third pole and a third insulating bush which is inserted between the third socket and the third pole for separating the third socket from the third pole; and the third socket and the third pole are respectively connected with either electrode of the atomizer in the inhaling shell.
8. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 7, wherein said third socket of the third connector is made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials and thereby is configured as a third magnetic part, or the third connector is set with an independent structural member as the third magnetic part which is made from conductive magnet or magnetic materials; and the third magnetic part magnetically absorbs the third magnetic part of the power shell.
9. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 3, wherein said inhaling shell and the power shell are detachably connected; and the frame at its top end defines a first slot and second slot for respectively accommodating the inhaling shell and the power shell of the electronic cigarette.
10. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 9, wherein said frame defines a retaining nest aligned to a bottom of the second slot, the first socket of the first connector forms a flange ring round its outer wall, and the first connector is mounted in the retaining nest in the frame by virtue of the flange ring.
11. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 9, wherein said frame defines a tensioning groove at a center of the first slot and crossing the first slots, a tensioner made from elastic material is mounted in the tensioning groove, and the tensioner defines a through-hole which is aligned to the first slot and has a slightly-smaller diameter than an outer diameter of the inhaling shell so as to fasten the inhaling shell therein.
12. An electronic cigarette device, comprising an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette case for accommodating the electronic cigarette, wherein the electronic cigarette case is set with a first magnetic part at a position thereof coupled to the electronic cigarette, and the electronic cigarette correspondingly has a second magnetic part to absorb the first magnetic part whereby the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette case are firmly engaged;
the electronic cigarette case has a first connector at a position coupled to the electronic cigarette;
said electronic cigarette comprises a battery therein, and a second connector which is connected with the battery and is coupled to the first connector of the electronic cigarette case;
said second connector comprises a socket, a pole disposed in the socket, and an insulating bush inserted between the socket and the pole for insulating the socket from the pole, and said socket and the pole are respectively electrically connected with either anode or cathode of the battery of the electronic cigarette; and
a stop ring is formed on a section of the pole within the socket, a spring is fitted on the section of the pole within the socket, and both ends of the spring respectively abut against the stop ring and an inner wall of the socket whereby the pole keeps extending outwards.
13. An electronic cigarette device, comprising an electronic cigarette and an electronic cigarette case for accommodating the electronic cigarette;
wherein the electronic cigarette case has a first connector at a position electrically coupled to the electronic cigarette;
said electronic cigarette comprises a power shell, the power shell is set with a battery therein, and one end of the power shell is set with a second connector which is electrically connected with the battery and is electrically coupled to the first connector of the electronic cigarette case;
said second connector comprises a socket, a pole disposed in the socket, and an insulating bush inserted therebetween;
said pole is inserted in the insulating bush, a stop ring is formed on a section of the pole within the socket, a spring is fitted on the section of the pole within the socket, and both ends of the spring respectively abut against the stop ring and an inner end wall of the socket whereby the pole keeps extending outwards; and
the pole of the second connector is resiliently and electrically engaged with the first connector of the electronic cigarette case whereby the electronic cigarette case can charge the battery in the electronic cigarette.
14. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette case are magnetically engaged.
15. The electronic cigarette device according to claim 14, wherein an engagement between the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette case is a kind of engagement between magnet and magnet, between magnet and magnetic material, or between magnetic material and magnet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
That which is claimed is:
1. A tunable optical grating comprising:
a plurality of optical grating structures contained within an optical transmission path; and
a microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuator operatively connected to each grating structure for changing the separation between the grating structures and tuning the optical grating to a desired wavelength selectivity.
2. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said Bragg grating structures form a periodic grating.
3. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said Bragg grating structures form a chirped grating.
4. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said Bragg grating structures form a distributed feedback grating.
5. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said Bragg grating structures form a Fabry-Perot Etalon adddrop grating structure.
6. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein and further comprising a silicon MEMS substrate on which said Bragg grating structures are formed, said MEMS substrate having formed actuators operatively connecting each Bragg grating structure.
7. A tunable optical grating according to claim 6, wherein said MEMS actuators are photolithographically formed on said MEMS substrate.
8. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a flat, single layer silicon membrane structure.
9. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise at least one anchor support and an arm member operatively connected to a Bragg grating structure and supported by the anchor support and movable therewith for moving said Bragg grating structure relative to another Bragg grating structure.
10. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a hinged plate actuator operatively connected to each Bragg grating structure.
11. A tunable optical grating according to claim 1, and further comprising an optical waveguide defining an input port through which an optical signal passes through said Bragg grating structures and an optical waveguide defining an output port for receiving the optical signal from the Bragg grating structures.
12. A tunable optical grating structure according to claim 11, and further comprising a collimating lens operatively connected to said input port and a converging lens operatively connected to said output port.
13. A tunable optical adddrop network element comprising:
an input port for receiving a multi-wavelength optical signal and passing the optical signal along an optical transmission path;
an output port for receiving the optical signal from the optical transmission path and passing the multi-wavelength optical signal with added or dropped optical signal channel components;
an optical adddrop element contained within the optical transmission path, said optical adddrop element comprising;
a plurality of Bragg grating structures contained within the optical transmission path and forming a Bragg grating for receiving the optical signal and passing andor reflecting optical signal channel components of desired wavelength; and
a microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuator operatively connected to each Bragg grating structure for changing the separation between Bragg grating structures and tuning the Bragg grating to a desired wavelength selectivity.
14. A network element according to claim 13, and further comprising add and drop ports operatively connected to said optical adddrop element, wherein optical signal channel components of desired wavelength are added and dropped.
15. A network element according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of Bragg grating structures are configurable to be responsive to different optical signal channel components.
16. A network element according to claim 13, and further comprising a silicon MEMS substrate on which said Bragg grating structures are formed, said MEMS substrate having formed actuators operatively connecting each Bragg grating structure.
17. A network element according to claim 16, wherein said MEMS actuators are photolithographically formed on said MEMS substrate.
18. A network element according to claim 13, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a flat, single layer silicon membrane structure.
19. A network element according to claim 13, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise at least one anchor support and an arm member operatively connected to a Bragg grating structure and supported by the anchor support and movable therewith for moving said Bragg grating structure relative to another Bragg grating structure.
20. A network element according to claim 13, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a hinged plate actuator operatively connected to each Bragg grating structure.
21. A tunable laser and filter apparatus comprising;
a semiconductor substrate;
a laser structure formed on the semiconductor substrate and further comprising an active layer and plurality of Bragg grating structures formed along the active layer to form a Bragg grating and provide optical reflections at a desired Bragg wavelength; and
a microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuator operatively connected to each Bragg grating structure for changing the separation between Bragg grating structures and tuning the Bragg grating to a desired wavelength selectivity and limiting the laser output to a selected narrow-band mode.
22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said laser structure comprises a distributed feedback laser.
23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said active layer includes a quantum well structure.
24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein and further comprising a silicon MEMS substrate on which said Bragg grating structures are formed, said MEMS substrate having formed actuators operatively connecting each Bragg grating structure.
25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said MEMS actuators are photolithographically defined on said MEMS substrate.
26. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a flat, single layer silicon membrane structure.
27. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise at least one anchor support and an arm member operatively connected to a Bragg grating structure and supported by the anchor support and movable therewith for moving said Bragg grating structure relative to another Bragg grating structure.
28. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said MEMS actuators each comprise a hinged plate actuator operatively connected to each Bragg grating structure.