Vaporiser Head Cannula Piercing for Residue-Free Liquid Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inhalers, particularly electronic cigarette products based on the wick-filament principle, face issues with inconsistent vaporization, bubble formation, local overheating, and residue buildup, leading to altered aerosol taste and potential health risks due to open tank systems.
Innovation Solution
A vaporiser head with a liquid-conducting cannula that allows for a secure and easy hydraulic connection to a liquid reservoir, featuring a protruding piercing region for reliable liquid delivery to the heating element-wick structure assembly, enabling a closed system for consistent vaporization and easy swapping without residue issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an open tank system is used, then the user can top up liquid and check liquid type, but the vaporiser head becomes dirty due to residues from local overheating and alters aerosol taste
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separable components: a reusable vaporiser head and a disposable liquid reservoir cartridge. This segmentation allows the liquid reservoir to be replaced when empty or contaminated, while the vaporiser head remains clean and functional, resolving the issue of residue buildup affecting vaporisation consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid reservoir is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after use. This eliminates the problem of residues accumulating in the vaporiser head, as each new cartridge provides fresh liquid without contamination from previous usage, maintaining consistent vaporisation quality.
2Reliability
If a closed tank system is used, then residue buildup is prevented, but the entire cartridge must be disposed of even if the vaporiser head is still functional
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the vaporiser head from the liquid reservoir, allowing independent replacement of each component. The vaporiser head can be retained and reused while only the liquid reservoir is disposed of, preventing waste of functional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cartridge contains only the liquid reservoir and necessary sealing components, while the valuable vaporiser head is recovered and reused. This selective discarding approach maintains functional components and reduces waste.
3Reliability
If the vaporiser head is non-detachably connected to the liquid reservoir, then the closed system prevents contamination, but the device complexity increases and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a modular design where the vaporiser head and liquid reservoir are separate but easily connectable components. This segmentation maintains system sealing through dedicated interfaces while simplifying the overall connection mechanism and enabling easy assembly and disassembly.
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 consistent and reliable vaporization process, prevents residue buildup, and ensures user safety by maintaining the vaporiser head's integrity, allowing for easy cleaning and reuse while ensuring the liquid reservoir is used as intended, reducing health risks.
Implementation Method 1
a porous and/or capillary wick structure (19) arranged at an inlet side (61) of the heating element (60)
Implementation Method 2
an electrically operable heating element (60)... which is designed to vaporise liquid (50) supplied to it
Implementation Method 3
the heating element (60)... which is designed to vaporise liquid (50) supplied to it and to feed the liquid to an air stream (34) as an aerosol or vapour
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vaporiser head for an inhaler, in particular for an electronic cigarette product, comprising a heating element-wick structure assembly consisting of an electrically operable heating element, which has at least one liquid-conducting through-channel and a porous and/or capillary wick structure arranged at an inlet side of the heating element, and a support plate for retaining the heating element-wick structure assembly. The vaporiser head has a liquid-conducting cannula having a preferably protruding piercing region.