Adapter Lever Locking Mechanism for Pressure Vessel Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing product dispensers for pressure containers lack a mechanism to prevent unintentional dispensing during transport, which can occur due to pressure or accidental falls.
Innovation Solution
An adapter for product dispensers that features a pivot arrangement allowing the actuating lever to be locked in a position that prevents medium dispensing, with a sliding mechanism and angled hole design to secure the lever, and an elastic connection for the dispensing sleeve, ensuring the medium is only dispensed when intended by the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuating lever is made freely movable to allow easy dispensing operation, then ease of operation is improved, but unintentional dispensing during transport occurs due to pressure or accidental falls
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating lever is designed with a dynamic locking mechanism that transitions between a locked transport position and an unlocked dispensing position. The lever can be freely moved when unlocked for easy operation, but automatically secures in a locked position during transport to prevent unintentional dispensing. This dynamic state change resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameter of the actuating lever between two distinct states: a locked position (first end position) for transport security and an unlocked position (second end position) for dispensing operation. This parameter change allows the lever to provide both easy operation when unlocked and reliability when locked, resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent unintentional dispensing, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is merged with the actuating lever itself, forming an integrated assembly. The pivot arrangement with the elongated hole and movable pivot axis combines the lever's actuating function with the locking function in a single structural unit. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining reliability by preventing unintentional dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating lever serves multiple functions: it acts as both the dispensing actuator and the locking mechanism. The same lever that controls medium dispensing also secures the system in transport position through its ability to be locked in the first end position. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while improving reliability.
3Device complexity
If the pivot axis is fixed in position to simplify the pivoting mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to lock and unlock the actuating lever is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis is designed to be movable within the elongated hole rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically transition between positions. This movable pivot axis enables the locking function (when positioned at the first end) and unlocking function (when positioned at the second end) while maintaining a relatively simple pivoting mechanism structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongated hole acts as an intermediary element that guides and constrains the movable pivot axis. This intermediary structure enables the pivot axis to move between locked and unlocked positions while maintaining mechanical simplicity. The elongated hole mediates between the need for a simple pivoting mechanism and the need for lock/unlock functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an adapter for a product dispenser (11) with an adapter base body (19) for positioning the adapter (18) on a container opening (14) of a pressure vessel (12), with a pivoting arrangement (23) which arranges an actuating lever (21) with a handle (22) pivotably to the adapter base body (19), wherein the actuating lever (21) can be moved from an unlocking position (67), into which the handle (22) can be actuated to open a valve (16) of the container (12) from an initial position (68) to an active position (69), to a locking position (66), in which actuation of the handle (22) is blocked.