Aerosol Control Housing With Offset Light Guide and Liquid Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol delivery devices, such as electronic cigarettes, face challenges in providing a favorable user experience and resisting liquid infiltration, particularly in terms of visibility and water resistance.
Innovation Solution
The aerosol delivery device incorporates a light source and light guide for variable lighting effects, a pressure sensor for power adjustment, and sealing members to prevent liquid ingress, including a translucent elastomeric light guide and a liquid-resistive membrane, enhancing user feedback and device durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a light source is positioned within the housing to provide visible lighting feedback, then user experience is enhanced, but the device becomes more susceptible to liquid infiltration through the light opening
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide acts as an intermediary component between the light source and the exterior environment. The light guide transmits light from the offset light source to the light opening while its peripheral flange creates a sealing barrier that prevents liquid infiltration, thus mediating between the lighting function and water resistance requirement
Solution Approach 2:
The light source is positioned in a different spatial dimension (offset from the light opening) rather than directly at the opening. The light guide extends the light path from this offset position to the opening, creating a multi-dimensional light transmission path that allows both lighting feedback and sealing
2Illumination intensity
If the light source is positioned directly at the window for maximum visibility, then lighting effectiveness is improved, but liquid can more easily infiltrate through the light opening
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves as an intermediary optical element that transmits light from the offset source to the window position. The peripheral flange of the light guide creates a sealing barrier that blocks liquid infiltration while allowing light transmission, thus protecting against harmful liquid intrusion while maintaining lighting effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The light source is extracted from the direct window position and relocated to an offset position. This separation removes the vulnerability point (light source at opening) while the light guide extracts and redirects the light function to the window position, achieving both protection and lighting
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 provides a more engaging user experience through variable lighting and improved resistance to liquid infiltration, ensuring the device remains functional and user-friendly.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide positioned within the outer housing and proximate the window, the light guide being of sufficient size to substantially fill the window and at least partially overlap with the light source
Implementation Method 2
a liquid-resistive membrane, enhancing user feedback and device durability
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device comprising a control device that is connectable with a cartridge and that can include one or more additional elements for improving one or both of visible indications of use to a user and resistance to infiltration of liquid into the control device. More particularly, the control device may include a light guide configured for transmitting to a window from a light source that is off-set from the window and a controller configured to direct a varying level of light from the light source. The control device may include one or more elements that are configured to limit infiltration of liquids into the control device and thus may be consider to be water-resistant or water-proof.