Hermetically Sealed Heater Engine for Wax Warmer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional electric wax warmers are not water-resistant, posing a risk of electrical shock when exposed to water, as they lack a hermetic seal to prevent moisture ingress and protect live electrical components.

Innovation Solution

A hermetically sealed heater engine is integrated within the wax warmer, featuring a seal that prevents liquid ingress, including an o-ring seal and wire seal, and ultrasonic welding to ensure the heater engine remains dry even when accidentally exposed to water.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional electric wax warmers are used, then they provide heating function, but they pose electrical shock risk when exposed to water

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater resistanceVSAvoidelectrical shock risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heater engine is segmented from the main housing and encapsulated in its own hermetically sealed enclosure. This separation allows the heating component to be isolated from water exposure while maintaining electrical functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between providing heat and preventing electrical shock risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A hermetic seal acts as an intermediary barrier between the electrical heating components and the external water environment. This seal prevents water ingress to live electrical parts while allowing the heater engine to function normally, eliminating the electrical shock hazard without compromising heating performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If traditional electric wax warmers are used, then they are simple in structure, but they fail to prevent moisture ingress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemoisture protectionVSAvoidheater engine structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hermetic seal, heater elements, and electrical components are merged into a single integrated sealed engine assembly. This consolidation protects all sensitive components from moisture ingress through a unified hermetic barrier, achieving reliable moisture protection without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A flexible grommet or O-ring seal is used to create the hermetic barrier around the heater engine. This thin film element provides effective moisture protection while adding minimal structural complexity, allowing the sealed engine to prevent water ingress without requiring a completely redesigned complex housing structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If hermetically sealed heater engine is implemented, then water resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater resistanceVSAvoidassembly process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The heater engine is pre-assembled and pre-sealed as a complete sub-assembly before integration into the main wax warmer housing. This preliminary sealing action ensures hermetic protection is achieved during manufacturing without requiring complex sealing procedures during final assembly, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving superior water resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sealed heater engine is extracted as a separate modular unit from the main housing assembly process. This extraction allows the hermetic seal to be applied and tested independently during manufacturing, simplifying the overall assembly process while ensuring reliable water resistance is achieved before the unit is integrated into the final product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 effectively prevents electrical shocks by maintaining the heater engine's dryness, meeting or exceeding water resistance standards, thus enhancing user safety and compliance with safety standards like UL 283 and IEC 60335.

Implementation Method 1

a hermetically sealed heater engine that inhibits water from contacting live electrical components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical Containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 2

ultrasonic welding to ensure the heater engine remains dry even when accidentally exposed to water

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic welding: Ultrasonic Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS11207437B2Sealed heater engine for a wax warmer

Publication Date: 2021.12.28 SC JOHNSON & SON INC

AI summary

A wax warmer includes a reservoir for receiving a wax melt, a housing defining an interior volume and configured to receive the reservoir, and a hermetically sealed heater engine positioned within the interior volume and in thermal contact with the reservoir.