Aerosol Device Baffle Single Aperture Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerosol delivery devices, such as vaping smoking substitute devices, often suffer from unvaporized e-liquid reaching the user, leading to an unpleasant experience and potential leakage due to multiple apertures in the baffle.

Innovation Solution

The aerosol delivery device incorporates a baffle with a single lateral aperture, redirecting the airflow path through the vaporizing chamber, which reduces the collection of unvaporized liquid during storage and inhalation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple apertures are provided in the baffle, then vapor can flow through the vaporizing chamber, but unvaporized e-liquid accumulates and leaks during storage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevapor flow reliabilityVSAvoidunvaporized liquid leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the harmful function of multiple apertures that allowed liquid accumulation and leakage. By extracting the problematic multiple-aperture configuration and replacing it with a single aperture design, the invention eliminates the root cause of liquid leakage while preserving vapor flow functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing multiple apertures for vapor flow and accepting liquid leakage as a side effect, the invention inverts the approach by using a single aperture that prioritizes preventing liquid accumulation. The single aperture design reverses the conventional wisdom that more openings improve flow, demonstrating that fewer openings can achieve better overall performance by eliminating leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a single lateral aperture is used in the baffle, then liquid flow and inhalation of unvaporized e-liquid are minimized, but vapor flow path is redirected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunvaporized liquid inhalationVSAvoidairflow path complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The single lateral aperture in the baffle acts as an intermediary element that mediates between vapor flow requirements and liquid prevention needs. This single opening serves as a controlled passage that allows vapor to pass while preventing liquid accumulation, acting as a selective gateway that resolves the contradiction between flow and prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the critical parameter of aperture quantity from multiple to single, and changes the aperture configuration from open to laterally positioned. This parameter change fundamentally alters the airflow dynamics, redirecting the path to flow along the baffle surface rather than through multiple openings, thereby minimizing liquid inhalation while maintaining vapor delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple apertures are provided in the baffle, then vapor can pass through, but manufacturing complexity increases due to leakage prevention requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevapor delivery reliabilityVSAvoidbaffle manufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the problematic multiple-aperture design that created manufacturing complexity and leakage issues. By removing the need for multiple precisely positioned openings and complex sealing arrangements, the single aperture design simplifies manufacturing while maintaining or improving vapor delivery reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the functions of multiple apertures into a single lateral aperture that performs both vapor flow and liquid prevention functions. This consolidation of functions into one element simplifies the baffle design and manufacturing, eliminating the need for complex multi-aperture sealing and alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively minimizes the inhalation of unvaporized e-liquid, enhancing user experience by reducing liquid flow during storage and inhalation, while also simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs.

Implementation Method 1

a vaporiser configured to heat and vaporise e-liquid contained in the tank using electrical energy supplied from the power source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

a wick in fluid communication with the tank and the vaporiser and configured to deliver e-liquid from the tank to the vaporiser

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentEP3945899B1Aerosol delivery device
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 IMPERIAL TOBACCO LTD
  • EP3945899B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3945899B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3945899B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device having a chamber airflow path through a vaporising chamber housing a vaporiser. The chamber airflow path is a unitary, deflected path extending through a single lateral aperture on a transverse baffle mounted within the vaporising chamber downstream of the vaporiser.