Aerosol Cartridge Assembly With Separable Shell for Easy Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol delivery devices, such as electronic cigarettes, face challenges in manufacturing ease, recycling, and cost efficiency, as well as the need for disposable designs that can be easily assembled and disassembled for recycling purposes.
Innovation Solution
The design of an aerosol delivery device featuring a power unit with a separable elongated shell divided into two halves, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and a base unit with 'drop-in' connectivity for the cartridge, enabling ease of manufacturing and recycling, and reducing capital expenditures by facilitating the creation of a low-cost disposable device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the aerosol delivery device uses a traditional integrated design, then the device structure is simple, but the ease of manufacture and recycling is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct modular components: a reusable power unit containing the battery and control electronics, and a disposable cartridge containing the aerosol-forming composition and heating element. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and assembly of components, improving ease of manufacture while enabling selective recycling of the power unit.
2Ease of repair
If the aerosol delivery device is designed as a disposable unit, then the recycling process is simplified, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the expensive reusable power unit from the inexpensive disposable cartridge, the system enables recycling of high-value components while discarding low-value consumables, simplifying the recycling process without significantly increasing overall manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is designed as a low-cost disposable component containing the aerosol-forming composition and heating element, while the power unit is a higher-cost reusable component. This differentiation allows the disposable portion to be manufactured economically while enabling recycling of the more valuable power unit.
3Ease of repair
If the shell is divided into separable halves, then the ease of disassembly for recycling is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power unit shell is divided into two separable halves that can be easily detached from each other, allowing straightforward access to internal components for recycling or repair purposes. This segmentation is achieved through simple joining mechanisms that maintain structural integrity during use but allow easy separation when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device including a shell that is divided into a first half and a second half along a longitudinal axis thereof. One or more batteries may be positioned within the shell along with a battery lead that provides an electrical connection to battery terminals. A base unit may be included and may have electrical contacts for matching with a battery terminal and the battery lead. The base unit can include one or both of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a pressure sensor. The shell can attach to a cartridge housing a reservoir for an aerosol-forming composition, a heater; a liquid transport element configured for transport of the aerosol forming composition between the reservoir and the heater; and heater terminals. Such construct can provide for simplified assembly of the device.