Continuous Winding Mechanism for Atomizer Heating Element Coils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing atomizers for smoking articles face challenges in efficiently forming coiled heating elements around wicks, leading to slow, imprecise, and costly production due to the small gauge and short length of individual segments, requiring high precision for evenly spaced coils.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a wick supply and heating element supply with a winding mechanism, adjustment mechanism, and synchronization mechanism to wind a substantially continuous heating element around a wick, cutting it to form a coiled resistive heating element, facilitated by a heating element feeder and collection reel, allowing for precise and efficient formation of atomizers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional methods are used to form coiled heating elements around wicks, then production can proceed with simple equipment, but production speed is slow and precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into discrete coil segments that are formed independently around the wick. The winding mechanism creates multiple identical coil segments in sequence along the continuous wick, allowing parallel processing and increased production speed while maintaining precise control over each segment's geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The coil segments are pre-formed on the wick in a controlled manufacturing process before final assembly into the atomizer. The winding mechanism prepares multiple coil segments in advance along the continuous wick, enabling efficient batch production and reducing assembly complexity later
2Manufacturing precision
If manual or simple automated winding is used, then equipment cost is low, but manufacturing precision of coil spacing and positioning is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The winding mechanism incorporates feedback control to maintain precise coil spacing and positioning. Sensors detect the position of the wick and the winding progress, automatically adjusting winding parameters to ensure consistent coil geometry and spacing, achieving high manufacturing precision through closed-loop control
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical winding systems are replaced with a synchronized automated winding mechanism that uses controlled movement and positioning systems. The mechanism substitutes simple mechanical rotation with precision-controlled winding that can accurately position coils along the wick, achieving high precision through automated control systems
3Productivity
If continuous wick and heating element winding is implemented, then production efficiency increases, but synchronization control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The winding mechanism is designed as a multi-functional device that simultaneously performs multiple operations: winding the heating element, spacing the coils, positioning segments along the wick, and preparing for cutting. This universal mechanism handles all winding-related tasks in one integrated system, improving efficiency while managing complexity through functional integration
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses configured to pre-form atomizers. The apparatus may include wick and heating element supplies configured to respectively provide a substantially continuous wick and a substantially continuous heating element. A winding mechanism is configured to wind the heating element about the wick. An adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a position at which the winding mechanism winds the heating element about the wick. Additionally a synchronization mechanism synchronizes winding the heating element about the wick with adjustment of the position at which the heating element is wound about the wick such that the heating element defines a coiled heating element segment wound about the wick. This process may be repeated to produce multiple coiled heating element segments wound about the wick. A related method is also provided.