Flexible Chassis Assembly for Narrow-Opening Aerosol Housings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol generation apparatuses face challenges in reducing the size of the outer casing opening while maintaining the delicate positioning of internal components and preventing the expansion of the interior volume.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a flexible part on the chassis that can elastically move from a flexed or retracted configuration to a work configuration, allowing the internal assembly to be inserted through a smaller opening, and a seamless outer casing with a progressively widening design to accommodate the flexible part, ensuring proper component positioning and protection during insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid chassis structure is used to ensure structural strength and stability, then the structural strength is improved, but the device complexity increases and assembly difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is divided into a rigid portion and a flexible portion, where the rigid portion provides structural strength and the flexible portion absorbs assembly mismatches. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis transitions from a completely rigid structure to a hybrid structure with both rigid and flexible portions. The flexible portion's ability to deform elastically changes the mechanical parameters of the chassis, allowing it to accommodate assembly variations without increasing complexity.
2Strength
If a rigid chassis structure is used to ensure structural strength, then the structural strength is improved, but the difficulty of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the chassis into rigid and flexible portions, the assembly process becomes more tolerant of dimensional variations. The flexible portion naturally compensates for assembly mismatches, reducing the difficulty of assembly while maintaining overall structural strength through the rigid portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portion acts as a pre-designed cushioning element that anticipates and compensates for assembly variations before they become problems. This elastic deformation capability is built into the design to prevent assembly difficulties.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise machining of all chassis parts is performed to ensure proper fit, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the loss of time and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis design changes from requiring all parts to be precisely machined to a hybrid structure where the flexible portion compensates for dimensional variations. This parameter change in structural composition reduces the need for high manufacturing precision across all components, saving time and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The function of accommodating assembly variations is extracted from the rigid chassis structure and assigned to a separate flexible portion. This extraction allows the rigid portion to be manufactured with standard precision while the flexible portion handles the tolerance compensation, reducing overall manufacturing time and cost.
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 solution enables a smaller outer casing opening while maintaining the integrity and positioning of internal components, providing a smooth insertion process and enhanced mechanical resistance, along with protection for electronic components.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible part according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flexible part comprises a resilient component configured to elastically deform to absorb dimensional variations
Data Source
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AI summary
An aerosol generating apparatus (10) comprising: - an internal assembly (15) comprising a chassis (42), and an electronic printed circuit (46), and - an outer casing (16) extending along a longitudinal axis (X) and defining an opening (18) for insertion of the internal assembly along the longitudinal axis in a cavity (28) of the outer casing. The chassis comprises a main part (52), and a flexible part (54) and elastically moveable with respect to the main part between a rest configuration, in which the internal assembly has a first extension (E3) along a transverse axis (Z)s that is larger than an extension (E1) of the opening along the transverse axis, and a flexed or retracted configuration, in which the internal assembly has a second extension along the transverse axis that is smaller than the extension of the opening, so as to allow said insertion. Corresponding method of assembling.