Coiled Wire Resistor Wick Evaporation Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for evaporation of volatile substances, such as air fresheners and insecticides, face inefficiencies in heat transfer and electrical energy consumption, requiring high temperatures and complex assemblies, which increase costs and delay fragrance or insecticide concentration perception.
Innovation Solution
A device with a coiled wire resistor element forming a compressing spring that directly contacts the wick, ensuring efficient heat transfer and reducing energy consumption by allowing adjustable pressure and simplified assembly, enabling quicker response to power changes and fragrance intensity variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a thermistor with PTC is used to heat the device housing, then the device can generate heat to evaporate volatile substances, but the heat transfer efficiency is low and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heating function from the general device housing and concentrates it directly at the wick location through a dedicated heating element. This separation allows efficient heat transfer only where needed (at the wick) rather than heating the entire device housing, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving evaporation rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a capillary wick as an intermediary between the heating element and the volatile substance container. The wick acts as a heat transfer medium that conducts heat directly from the heating element to the volatile substances, enabling efficient heat transfer without requiring high temperatures of the device housing or surrounding air.
2Speed
If the device housing temperature is significantly increased to transfer heat to the wick, then heat transfer occurs, but the energy consumption increases and the response time to power changes is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from the device housing and concentrated at the wick location. This allows the system to respond quickly to power changes by directly controlling the heating element at the wick, without the thermal inertia of heating the entire housing structure, thereby improving response time while reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies heat locally at the wick location rather than uniformly heating the entire device housing. This localized heating approach allows rapid response to power changes and reduces energy consumption by concentrating thermal energy only where it is needed for evaporation, avoiding waste of energy heating unnecessary components.
3Ease of manufacture
If a specific assembly is used to ensure contact of the wick with the refill element, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the heating element with the wick support structure, integrating the heat source directly into the component that holds and positions the wick. This integration ensures efficient heat transfer to the wick while eliminating the need for separate complex assembly mechanisms to ensure contact, thereby simplifying manufacturing and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The wick support structure serves multiple functions: it holds the wick in position, provides thermal conduction path from the heating element, and ensures proper alignment with the volatile substance container. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components to ensure contact, simplifying the overall device while maintaining heat transfer efficiency.
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 device enhances evaporation rate and user satisfaction by providing rapid fragrance or insecticide concentration perception, reduces energy consumption, and simplifies manufacturing and assembly, while maintaining efficient heat transfer and adjustable intensity delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a resistor element arranged to contact the second end of the wick... means for connecting the device to the mains supply to allow the heating of the resistor element
Implementation Method 2
The heat generated by said thermistor is transferred to the wick by convection from the heated surfaces of the device
Implementation Method 3
This heat causes evaporation of the volatile formulation from the wick
Data Source
AI summary
A device for evaporation of volatile substances, comprising a housing; a container removably mounted in the housing containing liquid volatile substances; a wick of a porous material, provided with a first end and a second end, wherein at least the first end is contained inside the container; a resistor element arranged to contact the second end of the wick; and connecting means for connecting the device to the mains supply to allow the heating of the resistor element; wherein the resistor element is a coiled wire that forms a compressing spring, and wherein the resistor element is compressed and in contact with the second end of the wick when the container is mounted in the housing.