Elastic Locking Mechanism for Electronic Cigarette Child Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electronic cigarettes lack effective child safety mechanisms, allowing children to easily access and potentially ingest tobacco liquid by unscrewing the upper cover, posing a hazardous risk.
Innovation Solution
An elastic locking mechanism is introduced, featuring a screw cap and upper cover with engagement components and an elastic element that requires a specific action to rotate, preventing easy removal by children, thus safeguarding the liquid storage assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the upper cover is designed to be easily unscrewed for liquid refilling, then the ease of operation is improved, but the child safety is worsened as children can easily access the tobacco liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The upper cover assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: the upper cover itself, a screw cap with elastic element, and engagement components. This segmentation allows the refilling function to be separated from the safety locking function, enabling easy liquid access for adults while preventing child access through the integrated elastic locking mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic element acts as an intermediary mechanism between the screw cap and upper cover. It provides the necessary elastic force to maintain engagement between the engagement components, creating a safety barrier that prevents easy removal by children while still allowing controlled access for refilling when proper force is applied
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an elastic locking mechanism with engagement components is added to prevent child access, then the child safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety locking function is merged with the existing screw cap structure. The engagement components are integrated into the screw cap and upper cover assembly, combining the refilling mechanism with the safety locking mechanism in a unified structure that does not require separate locking devices
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic element provides self-service by automatically maintaining engagement pressure between the engagement components. The elastic force continuously pushes the engagement components together, creating a passive safety mechanism that requires no active control or additional power source
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 elastic locking mechanism effectively prevents children from accessing the tobacco liquid by requiring a certain amount of force and rotational action, enhancing safety and protection against accidental exposure.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic element mounted between the screw cap and the upper cover to prevent the upper engagement component and the lower engagement component from engaging each other. When the screw cap is pressed down or pulled up, the elastic element is compressed or stretched
Data Source
AI summary
An elastic locking mechanism, an atomizer for an electronic cigarette, and an electronic cigarette are disclosed. The elastic locking mechanism includes an upper cover removably arranged on an opening end of a liquid storage assembly, a screw cap sleeved outside the upper cover, an upper engagement component arranged on the screw cap, a lower engagement component arranged on the upper cover, and an elastic element mounted between the screw cap and the upper cover to prevent the upper engagement component and the lower engagement component from engaging each other. When the screw cap is pressed down or pulled up, the elastic element is compressed or stretched so that the upper engagement component engages the lower engagement component, and the upper cover is driven to rotate together with the screw cap by rotating the screw cap.