Aerosol Device Light Shield Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol provision devices lack effective indicators for battery charge level and manufacturing variability can lead to reduced usability due to lighting bleed and misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol provision system with a housing element featuring a light shield with cavities and ribs, and a plurality of LEDs that illuminate to indicate battery charge level, while the light shield design minimizes lighting bleed by blocking light from passing through adjacent windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a light shield with cavities and ribs is used to block light from passing through adjacent windows, then lighting bleed is reduced and manufacturing tolerance is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light shield is segmented into multiple cavities separated by ribs, creating discrete light paths for each LED. This segmentation prevents light from adjacent LEDs from bleeding into each other's windows, thereby improving manufacturing tolerance without requiring perfect alignment while managing the complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The light shield acts as an intermediary component between the LEDs and the windows. It mediates the light transmission by allowing light from each LED to pass only through its corresponding window while blocking light from other LEDs, thus reducing lighting bleed and enhancing manufacturing tolerance
2Loss of information
If multiple LEDs are positioned close together to indicate battery charge level, then space is saved and information is provided, but lighting bleed occurs and reduces indication accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The light shield is segmented into multiple cavities separated by ribs, creating discrete light paths for each LED. This segmentation prevents light from adjacent LEDs from bleeding into each other's windows, thereby improving manufacturing tolerance without requiring perfect alignment while managing the complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Each cavity in the light shield is designed with specific local properties (transparency in the cavity, opacity in the ribs) to control light transmission. This local quality differentiation ensures that light from each LED is directed only through its corresponding window, preventing lighting bleed and maintaining indication accuracy
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
The system provides clear and accurate indication of battery charge level, and enhances manufacturing tolerance by reducing lighting bleed, thus improving user experience and system usability.
Implementation Method 1
a light shield positioned beneath the interior surface of the housing element, the light shield comprising a plurality of cavities and one or more ribs
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of light elements, each light element positioned to be visible though one of the cavities and one of the windows in the exterior surface. In a further embodiment of the above, the plurality of light elements comprise a plurality of LEDs
Data Source
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AI summary
An aerosol provision system (10) comprises a housing element (42) defining an exterior surface and an interior surface (41) and a plurality of windows (50) formed through the housing element (42) from the exterior surface to the interior surface (41), a light shield (40) positioned beneath the interior surface (41) of the housing element (42), the light shield (40) comprising a plurality of cavities (48) and one or more ribs (54), each rib (54) separating two of the cavities (48), each rib (54) spaced from the interior surface (41) of the housing element (42) to define a gap (57) therefrom, and a plurality of light elements (46), each light element (46) positioned to be visible though one of the cavities (48) and one of the windows (50) in the exterior surface.