Clearomizer Refill Venting With Rotating Mouthpiece Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic cigarette clearomizers lack an efficient and user-friendly mechanism for refilling eCig juice, leading to inconvenience and potential damage from dry wicks due to lack of refill indication and pressure management.

Innovation Solution

A refillable eCig clearomizer design featuring a rotatable mouthpiece and tank with aligned fill and vent apertures, allowing visual juice level indication and pressure relief, coupled with a heater coil and wick system that utilizes capillary action and airflow sensors to manage juice flow and prevent dry firing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a refillable tank design is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverefilling convenienceVSAvoidclearomizer structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clearomizer is divided into separate functional components: a refillable tank portion and a mouthpiece portion that can rotate relative to each other. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component and simplifies the refilling operation by isolating the fill aperture in a specific rotational position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mouthpiece is designed to rotate dynamically relative to the tank portion, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one. This rotational movement enables the alignment of fill apertures during refilling while maintaining a sealed connection during normal operation, thus improving ease of operation without permanently increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If visual juice level indication is added, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedry firing preventionVSAvoidindication system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tank portion incorporates a translucent or transparent section that allows visual observation of the eCig juice level. This simple optical indication system enables users to monitor juice levels without adding mechanical sensors or electronic components, thereby improving reliability through better awareness while minimizing increases in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The visual indication system provides continuous feedback to the user about the juice level in the tank. This feedback mechanism allows users to refill the tank before the juice is depleted, preventing dry firing of the heater coil and improving overall system reliability without requiring complex detection systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If pressure relief mechanism is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure managementVSAvoidpressure control system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A separate vent aperture is extracted from the main body structure and positioned in the mouthpiece portion. This vent aperture can be independently aligned with the tank's vent opening during rotation, providing a dedicated pressure relief pathway that simplifies the overall pressure management system by separating the venting function from the sealing function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure relief mechanism utilizes the dynamic rotation of the mouthpiece to alternately seal and open the vent aperture. During normal operation, the vent is sealed to maintain pressure; during refilling, rotation aligns the vent aperture to release pressure. This dynamic approach provides effective pressure management without requiring additional active pressure control components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Facilitates easy refilling, prevents damage from dry wicks by ensuring juice availability and managing pressure, enhancing user experience and device longevity.

Implementation Method 1

eCig juice, which is drawn from the refillable tank to the heater coil by capillary action

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentEP3487334B1Refillable electronic cigarette clearomizer
Publication Date: 2022.05.04 FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 BV
  • EP3487334B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3487334B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3487334B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Aspects of the instant disclosure relate to electronic cigarettes; more particularly, to electronic cigarettes including a clearomizer. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a clearomizer with a refillable electronic cigarette juice tank with a first fill aperture, and a mouthpiece including a second fill aperture. The mouthpiece and the refillable tank rotate relative to one another along a common longitudinal axis to align the fill apertures, and facilitate filling of the refillable tank.