Flat Heater Assembly With Parallel Channels For Microvaporizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microvaporizer heaters, such as coiled heating wires, are inefficient in heating liquids, leading to inconsistent aerosol particle sizes and temperatures, affecting user experience and potentially producing carcinogens.
Innovation Solution
A flat heater assembly with a substrate plate and a layer of electrically conducting material featuring channels or elongated gaps, allowing for multi-zone heating and precise control over heat distribution, enabling the generation of aerosols with specific particle sizes and temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a coiled heating wire is used to heat the liquid in the wick, then the liquid can be heated, but the heating is inefficient and inconsistent, leading to variable aerosol particle sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is segmented into multiple independent heating zones along the channel, allowing different regions to be controlled at different temperatures. This segmentation enables precise control over the heating process, ensuring consistent aerosol particle size while improving overall heating efficiency by applying heat only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the heating element have different electrical resistance properties, creating local quality variations. The heating element includes a first section with higher resistance and a second section with lower resistance, allowing tailored heating characteristics in different regions to optimize both efficiency and particle size consistency.
2Productivity
If the entire wick within the coil is heated, then more liquid can be vaporized, but temperature control is poor and fluctuations are greater
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into multiple independently controllable heating zones, allowing selective activation of specific sections. This enables precise temperature control in each zone while maintaining high overall productivity by activating only the necessary heating regions based on demand.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element incorporates dynamic control capabilities where different heating zones can be independently adjusted in real-time. This dynamic control allows the system to respond to changing conditions, maintaining stable temperatures while optimizing vaporization rates through selective zone activation.
3Power
If a coiled heating wire design is used, then heating can be provided, but the design is complex and uses more material
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of wrapping the heating element around the fluid path (coiled design), the fluid path is integrated directly through the heating element in a linear channel configuration. This inverted approach simplifies the structure while maintaining effective heating capability, reducing material usage and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element merges the heating function with the fluid distribution function into a single integrated structure. The channel is formed directly within the heating element body, combining the pathways for liquid flow and heat generation into one unified component, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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 flat heater design improves aerosol consistency, allows for the production of aerosols with varying particle sizes, and avoids excessive temperatures that could produce carcinogens, enhancing user experience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element supported on the substrate plate. The heating element includes a layer of electrically conducting material with a plurality of channels formed by the electrically conducting material
Implementation Method 2
Each channel has an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is configured to receive the liquid and the outlet end is configured to discharge vapor
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A heater assembly (20) is configured to vaporize a liquid. The heater assembly (20) includes a substrate plate (26,28) and a heating element (24) supported on the substrate plate (26,28). The heating element (24) includes a layer of electrically conducting material. The heater assembly (20) further includes a plurality of channels (46) formed by the electrically conducting material. Each of the plurality of channels (46) is configured to operate in parallel. Each channel (46) has an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is configured to receive the liquid and the outlet end is configured to discharge vapor. The substrate plate (26,28) and the heating element (24) form a multi-layer configuration.