Portable Vaporizer Cooling Section Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vaporizers with heaters located at the top can result in vapor being too hot when it comes into contact with the user's lips, potentially causing irritation and burn injuries due to larger droplets of partially vaporized liquid being inhaled.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cooling section that extends directly downstream from the heater to the mouthpiece within the air path, which can efficiently cool the vapor to a comfortable temperature without increasing the device's size or complexity, using an extended air path that is cost-efficient and does not require additional installations like heat sinks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the heater is placed at the top of the device (adjacent to the mouthpiece), then the device cost and complexity are reduced, but the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece becomes too high causing user irritation and potential burn injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the air path in the longitudinal dimension of the device, routing it from the bottom of the reservoir through the heater to the mouthpiece at the top. This dimensional extension allows sufficient cooling distance without adding lateral complexity or requiring additional cooling components, thereby resolving the contradiction between simple device structure and adequate vapor cooling.
2Temperature
If the air path length is extended to cool the vapor, then the vapor temperature is reduced to comfortable levels, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the heater at the top and extending cooling paths laterally or adding complex routing, the patent inverts the approach by starting the air path at the bottom of the reservoir and routing it upward through the heater assembly to the mouthpiece. This inversion utilizes the vertical space already available in the device, achieving sufficient cooling length without increasing overall device dimensions.
3Temperature
If additional cooling components like heat sinks are added, then vapor cooling efficiency is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the air path itself as the cooling medium, utilizing the natural thermal conduction and convection properties of air flowing through the extended path. The system serves its own cooling needs through the extended air path without requiring external cooling components, thereby achieving effective vapor cooling while maintaining device simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
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 cooling section effectively reduces the vapor temperature to 40° C or less above environmental temperature, enhancing user comfort and safety by ensuring the vapor is comfortable when inhaled, while maintaining a compact device design.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling section extending directly downstream from the heater until the mouthpiece
Implementation Method 2
The cooling section is part of the air path and extends directly downstream from the heater to the mouthpiece
Data Source
AI summary
A portable liquid vaporizer (1) comprises a reservoir (10) for holding a liquid to be vaporized; a heater (12) for vaporizing the liquid; a mouthpiece (3) for withdrawing the vapor; and an air path (30) extending through the vaporizer (1), comprising a heating section (31) and a cooling section (32), wherein the heating section (31) extends along the heater (12) and the cooling section (32) extends directly downstream from the heater (12) to the mouthpiece (3).