Posture-Controlled Electronic Vaporizer to Prevent Liquid Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic vaporizers face issues with unintentional liquid leakage and bulkiness due to internal batteries, affecting portability and usability.
Innovation Solution
An electronic vaporizer design that couples to an electronic device, utilizing the device's battery for power and featuring a control circuit to manage liquid supply and aerosol generation based on posture, with a mechanism to prevent liquid leakage when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a battery of certain size and weight is equipped in the electronic vaporizer to ensure appropriate number of puffs, then the power supply capability is improved, but the total weight of the electronic device increases, causing poor portability
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the electronic vaporizer and relocated to the electronic device (e.g., smartphone). The vaporizer housing now only contains the atomizer, liquid storage, and control circuitry, while power supply is provided externally through the connecting interface. This extraction resolves the weight contradiction by removing the heavy battery from the portable vaporizer unit while maintaining sufficient power supply capability through the device's battery.
2Productivity
If the liquid aerosol generating material is supplied to the wick continuously, then the aerosol generation is maintained, but the liquid may leak unintentionally, causing inconvenience to the user
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply system transitions from a static continuous supply to a dynamic controlled supply. The control circuit monitors the user's inhalation actions and dynamically adjusts the liquid supply to the wick accordingly. Liquid is supplied only when inhalation is detected, maintaining aerosol generation productivity while preventing unintentional leakage that occurs with continuous supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the control circuit detects user inhalation through sensors (e.g., flow sensors, pressure sensors, or accelerometer-based posture detection) and adjusts liquid supply based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures liquid is supplied only when needed for aerosol generation, preventing leakage while maintaining productivity.
3Volume of moving object
If the electronic vaporizer is made compact for better portability, then the volume is reduced, but the battery capacity is insufficient to ensure appropriate number of puffs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery function is extracted from the vaporizer unit and assigned to the electronic device. This allows the vaporizer to be designed as a compact atomizer module without a large battery, achieving reduced volume while the host device's battery provides sufficient power capacity for multiple puffs through the connecting interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic device (e.g., smartphone) serves multiple functions: it acts as both the power supply source and the control unit for the vaporizer. The device's existing battery and processing capabilities are utilized to power and control the vaporizer, eliminating the need for a separate battery in the vaporizer and enabling compact design while maintaining adequate power supply duration.
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 design minimizes liquid leakage and reduces bulkiness, enhancing portability and usability by leveraging the host device's battery, allowing compact and efficient aerosol generation only when properly positioned.
Implementation Method 1
a heater heats the absorbed material to generate an aerosol
Implementation Method 2
A liquid aerosol generating material is absorbed through a wick provided in the electronic vaporizer
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic vaporizer for generating an aerosol includes a housing to be installed to an electronic device by being coupled to the electronic device through a connecting interface of the electronic device, and including: a connecting interface that receives power from a battery included in the electronic device when coupled to the connecting interface of the electronic device, a liquid storage for storing a liquid aerosol generating material and supplying the liquid aerosol generating material to a wick when the housing is disposed in a predetermined posture, an atomizer that includes a wick and a heater for generating an aerosol by heating the liquid aerosol generating material supplied to the wick, and a control circuit that controls heating of the heater for generating the aerosol, based on the power supplied from the battery.