RU2789543C1 - Method for disassembly of an electronic cigarette for its disposal - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: proposed invention relates to the field of smoking accessories, namely to electronic cigarettes, and can be used as a device for vaping and helping to combat nicotine addiction. The method for disassembling an electronic cigarette for its disposal is characterized by the fact that the user independently separates the assembled cartridge with a mouthpiece from the body of the electronic cigarette, to which a chassis with a puff sensor with an LED and a battery are attached, then the battery is separated from the chassis with a puff sensor with an LED, then from of the cartridge body, the internal cartridge assembly is separated, connected to the chassis with the puff sensor and the LED, then the chassis is separated from the internal cartridge assembly, then the puff sensor with the LED is separated from the chassis for subsequent separate disposal of these elements of the electronic cigarette.

EFFECT: ensuring the environmental friendliness of the use of electronic cigarettes due to its independent analysis into certain elements and disposal of each of them.

1 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of smoking accessories, namely to electronic cigarettes, and can be used as a device for vaping and helping to combat nicotine addiction.

From the public prior art in the designated area, it is known that an electronic cigarette (English e-cigarette) is an electronic device that creates a highly dispersed vapor (aerosol) intended for inhalation (inhalation). It can be used both as a nicotine delivery device (ENDS) and for inhaling flavored vapor (aerosol) without nicotine. Steam is created by evaporation of a specially prepared liquid from the surface of the heating element and looks like tobacco smoke. The main elements of which are a mouthpiece, a lithium battery and an atomizer, including a heating element, a cartridge or a reservoir with a special liquid filler (“Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia”//Electronic cigarette)//[electronic resource] URL: https://ru.wikipedia. org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette (accessed 04/20/2022).

One of the disadvantages of electronic cigarettes is the environmental pollution with electronic cigarette elements after their use: batteries, plastic parts (mouthpiece, cartridge, body), electronics, etc. In this regard, at present, manufacturers of electronic cigarettes have begun to pay attention to safe, environmentally friendly disposal of electronic cigarettes after their use.

At the same time, a significant part of the information from open sources of the level of technology concerns disposal, including preliminary analysis, namely electronic cigarettes, as especially harmful to the environment. The fact is that inside each disposable electronic cigarette there is a lithium-ion battery, the disposal of which takes a very long period. And if you just throw it into the urn, it will never be processed and will very much pollute our planet, which will lead to even more global environmental problems. These batteries definitely need to be taken for disposal, since ordinary garbage tanks are not intended for this. (Site: Anix // How to throw a one-time electronic cigarette (Vaip)? // URL: https://anix.ua/kak-utilizirovat-odnorazovye-elektronnye-sigarety respects: 04.04.2022).

The procedure for recycling batteries, including those from electronic cigarettes, is carried out under special conditions.

After the used batteries are collected from the collection points, they are taken to the place of industrial processing, where they are hand-packed. Separate batches of batteries are loaded into a crushing plant, where they are partially crushed. After that, the division into elements is made, the body parts are separated from the internal content. The hull elements go through the second stage of crushing and excavation of metal parts. Non-ferrous metal salts are sorted. The internal content of the batteries enters the furnace, where bituminous insulators are gradually decomposed into carbohydrates, and the electrolytes are condensed. Cadmium and zinc evaporate and condense. Manganese oxide is processed into a concentrate. The rest is graphite.

The package of the electronic cigarette also includes a battery, which means that by this alone it poses a danger to the environment if it is not disposed of correctly. In addition to the battery, the electronic cigarette contains plastic, electronic parts, metal alloys, which also harm the environment. Plastic and electronic parts are also subject to specialized recycling. They are crushed, divided into elements, sorted. Many components are further used as recyclable materials.

It is very difficult to safely and environmentally dispose of electronic cigarettes without specific knowledge, skills and equipment -sigarety.htm (accessed 04/24/2022).

Some patented technical solutions concern the disassembly and disposal of only individual, basic elements of an electronic cigarette, namely the power supply, cartridge, mouthpiece. For example, in the technical decision according to the Russian patent for invention No. 2687802 “Product used with a device for heating smoking material” (priority date 08/26/2016) it is indicated that the user can dispose of the mouthpiece assembly with the rest of the product after the complete use of all or almost all of the evaporated components of the smoking material.

In the technical decision on the Russian patent for invention No. 2751630 “Aerosol source for the system for providing steam” (the date of priority 01/23/2019), the possibility of separation of the power section and the cartridge, which are adapted for disposal and replacement, when they are exhausted (for example, the reservoir is empty or the battery discharged), also in the technical solution for the Russian patent for invention No. 2612567 “Inhalation component” (the date of priority on 10/18/2012) describes the inhalatant component, which is a replacement product of one -time use and it is recommended to dispose of only the inhalation component, primarily when when Liquid material contains drugs or toxins, such as nicotine. In the technical solution for the Russian patent for invention No. 2747956 “A system generating aerosol with the outer building” (the date of priority 11/29/2017) is offered a mouthpiece in the cartridge, which can be performed separately, which makes the mundsteus to dispute and replace the new mouthpiece. In the technical decision on the international registration of the invention No. TW201336437A, “Double -purpose caping product” (priority date 01/09/2012) is about the possibility of analyzing an electronic cigarette containing an aerosol -forming substrate and a removable cap that can be disposed of.

The main disadvantages of the presented solutions are:

- parsing into all elements of the device is not described;

- recycling of all elements of the device is not provided.

Another part of the solutions from the prior art contains an indication of the possibility of completely disassembling an electronic cigarette into parts for their subsequent disposal, namely the battery pack, atomizer, plastic parts, electronics.

For example, during the recycling process, an electronic cigarette is first completely disassembled into parts, the battery pack, atomizer are separated, plastic parts are removed, and electronics are removed. Each of the parts is disposed of according to a separate technology. The battery, as well as other lithium-ion batteries, electronic microcircuits, is dismantled, separated to metals and alloys (site: the administration of the city district of Chekhov // Rules for the disposal of disposable cigarettes and electronic evaporators // URL: https://agoch.ru/ article/pravila-utilizatsii-odnorazovyh-sigaret-i-elektronnyh-isparitelej-308371, (Accessed 04/25/2022).

Also, manufacturers of electronic cigarettes are invited to hand over devices for parsing into plastic, electronic components and metal for further disposal for recycling in order to use them as raw materials for production (glo// YOU RENT, WE RECYCLE// URL: https://www.myglo. ru/sustainability, (accessed 04/25/2022).

The main disadvantage of these solutions is that they do not disclose that this parsing can be implemented by a simple consumer and due to what design features of an electronic cigarette this parsing can be carried out.

As the nearest analogue (prototype) of the declared invention, by aggregate, significant features made a technical decision on the Russian patent for invention No. 2716192 “A device for delivering aerosol and methods of creating such a device” (Date of priority 05.05.2016, date of publication 03.03.2020, copyright holder of Rai Stretzhik HOLDINGS, INC.(US)). This solution describes a device for the delivery of aerosol, which includes a shell divided into the first half and the second half along its longitudinal axis. One or more batteries can be located in the shell along with the output of the battery, providing an electrical connection with battery terminals. The basic block may be contained, which can have electrical contacts for interfacing with battery terminals and the output of the battery. The base unit may include a printed circuit board and/or a pressure sensor. The shell can be attached to the cartridge that contains the tank for an aerosol -forming composition, a heater, an element for transferring a liquid made with the possibility of transferring an aerosol -forming composition between the tank and the heater, and the terminal of the heater. The aerosol delivery device can be configured such that disposal can be carried out by recycling its various elements. For example, the connection of the power supply to the cartridge can be made with the possibility of easy disassembly. The power supply shell can also be made with the possibility of easy disassembly to remove the elements that are in it.

As disadvantages of the prototype, it can be noted that the solution discloses only a method for separating the cartridge from the power supply and disassembling the shell of the power supply, but does not talk about the method for disassembling other elements of the device, and it also does not describe whether they can be disassembled and disposed of by the user on their own. .

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages of the prototype, namely, to enable the user to independently disassemble the electronic cigarette into all the elements and dispose of them after using the electronic cigarette.

This goal is achieved by the fact that the design of the proposed electronic cigarette consists of elements separated from each other, which allows the user, after using the electronic cigarette, to independently separate it into these elements for their subsequent disposal.

Accordingly, the technical result of the proposed technical solution "METHOD FOR PARSING AN ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE FOR ITS DISPOSAL" is as follows.

The proposed invention ensures the environmental friendliness of the use of electronic cigarettes due to the fact that the design of the electronic cigarette allows the user, after using the electronic cigarette, to independently completely disassemble it into certain elements and dispose of each of them. Also, the claimed invention as a whole expands the arsenal of technical solutions for the disposal of electronic cigarettes.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the method of disassembling an electronic cigarette for its disposal is characterized by the fact that the user independently separates the assembled cartridge with a mouthpiece from the body of the electronic cigarette, to which a chassis with a puff sensor with an LED and a battery are attached, then the battery is separated from the chassis with a sensor puff with LED, then the internal cartridge assembly is separated from the cartridge body, connected to the chassis with the puff sensor and the LED, then the chassis is separated from the internal cartridge assembly, then the puff sensor with LED is separated from the chassis for subsequent disposal of these elements of the electronic cigarette.

The claimed technical solution is illustrated by schematic images of a disposable electronic cigarette in partially (figures 1, 2) and fully disassembled (figure 3) types, where 1 is the electronic cigarette body, 2 is the cartridge, 3 is the cartridge body, 4 is the internal cartridge assembly, 5 is mouthpiece, 6 - chassis, 7 - puff sensor with LED 8, 9 - battery.

As shown in figures 1, 2, 3, the electronic cigarette is disassembled into the following elements: body 1 of the electronic cigarette, battery 9, internal assembly 4 of the cartridge 2, puff sensor 7 with LED 8; body 3 cartridge 2 with mouthpiece 5, chassis 6.

To obtain a technical result, the invention can be carried out in the following preferred manner, not excluding other methods of implementation within the framework of the claimed claims.

The disassembly of the electronic cigarette device is carried out independently by the user, without the need for special tools.

To implement the method of disassembling an electronic cigarette, it is required to press the mouthpiece 5 from both sides, pull the mouthpiece 5 up, pull out the assembled cartridge 2 with the mouthpiece 5 from the body 1, to which the chassis 6 with the puff sensor 7 with the LED 8, and the battery 9 are attached. This action is shown in Fig. 1. The next step is to separate the battery 9 from the chassis 6 with the puff sensor 7 with the LED 8. Next, the internal unit 4 of the cartridge 2 is removed from the body 3 of the cartridge 2 connected to the chassis 6 with the puff sensor 7 and the LED 8. These actions are shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the internal assembly 4 of the cartridge 2 can be connected to the chassis 6, to which the tightening sensor 7 with LED 8 and the battery 9 are attached, in various ways, for example, wires (as shown in Fig.1, 2, 3), pins ( contacts), magnets, connectors, etc. The last step is the separation of the chassis 6 from the internal unit 4 of the cartridge 2 and the separation of the puff sensor 7 with the LED 8 from the chassis 6.

As a result, by the user's independent actions, a complete analysis of the electronic cigarette into the above elements is achieved.

Further, these elements are sent by the user for their subsequent disposal as follows: the plastic body of the electronic cigarette 1 and the cartridge body 3 with a mouthpiece 5, the chassis 6 are sent by the user to the appropriate container for separate waste collection, the plastic elements are disposed of as a third type of recyclable material; puff sensor 7 with LED 8, battery 9, which are electronic components, are sent by the user to another appropriate container for separate waste collection; the internal node 4 of the cartridge 2, which includes elements of cotton, glass, is sent by the user to the third appropriate container for separate collection of waste. Thus, all elements of the electronic cigarette are recycled by separating them into plastic, electronic components, etc.

Thus, the novelty and inventive step of the claimed invention lies in the fact that the design of the electronic cigarette allows the user to independently and consistently and completely disassemble the electronic cigarette into its constituent elements for their subsequent disposal.

The Applicant is currently commercializing the proposed electronic cigarette.

Claims (1)

A method for disassembling an electronic cigarette for disposal, characterized in that the user independently separates the assembled cartridge with a mouthpiece from the body of the electronic cigarette, to which a chassis with a puff sensor with LED and a battery are attached, then the battery is separated from the chassis with a puff sensor with LED, then the internal cartridge assembly is separated from the cartridge body, connected to the chassis with the puff sensor and the LED, then the chassis is separated from the internal cartridge assembly, then the puff sensor with the LED is separated from the chassis for subsequent separate disposal of these elements of the electronic cigarette.

Images