I think they are suppost to "catch" some of the extra
juice in the cartomizers to keep them from splashing back into your mouth. If a cartomizer is too full, this wont work really well...but thats what i think they are there to do.
I usually fill my cartomizers..with the easy fill method using the cart cover....then i blow out the extra
juice into a paper towel before using it. Works for me.