Rotary Valve Smoking Machine Cable Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotary multi-port smoking machines are unsuitable for collecting aerosols produced by heated smoking articles due to entanglement and dislodgment of power cables during rotation, and they fail to efficiently collect smoke from both lit-end and heated smoking articles.
Innovation Solution
A rotary multi-port smoking machine with static smoking article holders and a rotatable valve that selectively brings each port into communication with a suction means, minimizing dead volume and reducing the risk of cable entanglement, and incorporating central and peripheral traps for efficient smoke and aerosol collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If rotary motion is used to sequentially connect multiple smoking ports to a single suction means, then device complexity is reduced, but power cables become entangled or dislodged during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a stationary valve body containing multiple ports and a rotatable valve member that selectively connects ports to the suction means. This segmentation allows the suction means to remain fixed while only the valve member rotates, preventing cable entanglement.
Solution Approach 2:
A stationary connection piece is introduced as an intermediary between the rotatable valve member and the suction means. The connection piece remains fixed during rotation, serving as a stable interface that prevents cable dislodgment while allowing the valve to rotate.
2Adaptability or versatility
If smoking ports are rotated during use, then a single suction means can serve multiple ports, but the machine becomes unsuitable for heated smoking articles with power cables
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the smoking ports and attached cables, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the ports stationary and rotating only the internal valve member. This inversion eliminates cable entanglement issues while maintaining the ability to switch between different smoking article types.
3Productivity
If a linear smoking machine design is used with separate suction means per port, then each port can operate independently, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple smoking ports are merged into a single valve body, and a single suction means is combined with the ability to sequentially serve all ports through the rotatable valve member. This merging reduces the number of suction means from multiple to one while maintaining simultaneous smoking capability through rapid sequential switching.
4Volume of stationary object
If rotary motion is used to bring ports into communication with suction means, then dead volume is reduced, but cable entanglement occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation function is segmented and isolated to only the valve member, which has minimal mass and no attached cables. The main body containing the ports and suction means remains stationary, maintaining low dead volume while eliminating cable entanglement issues.
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
Enables the collection of both smoke from lit-end and aerosols from heated smoking articles without cable entanglement, reduces condensation and contamination, and minimizes clogging through reduced contact between components, allowing for efficient and reliable sampling.
Implementation Method 1
a suction means. The rotary valve is rotatable to selectively place each of the static ports in communication with the suction means so that, in use, air is drawn through a smoking article placed in the corresponding static smoking article holder towards the suction means to provide a puff.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A multi-port smoking machine (2) comprises a rotary valve (12); a plurality of static smoking article holders (4), each static smoking article holder (4) being in communication with a corresponding static port (10) disposed about the rotary valve (12); and a suction means. The rotary valve (12) is rotatable to selectively place each of the static ports (10) in communication with the suction means so that, in use, air is drawn through a smoking article placed in the corresponding static smoking article holder (4) towards the suction means to provide a puff. A method of smoking a plurality of smoking articles comprises: placing smoking articles in a plurality of static smoking article holders (4), wherein each static smoking article holder (4) is in communication with a corresponding one of a plurality of static ports (10) disposed about a rotary valve (12); and taking puffs sequentially through the smoking articles in the plurality of static smoking article holders (4) by rotating the rotary valve (12) to bring each of the plurality of static ports (10) successively into communication with a suction means.