Aerosol Base System Preventing Propellant Stranding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerosol containers face issues with maintaining foamed products' stability and efficient dispensing, as propellant from the headspace is often dispensed before the product, leading to stranding of the product in the container, and existing solutions are not thermodynamically stable for long-term storage and consumption.
Innovation Solution
A base system for aerosol containers that stores viscous products and propellants, where the propellant forms a headspace, allowing the product and propellant to settle in a configuration where the propellant is at a higher elevation than the product, ensuring proper dispensing and preventing premature propellant discharge, along with features like a transparent window for viewing and a safety mechanism to prevent accidental actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the container is stored with the dispenser at the bottom, then the product can be dispensed efficiently, but the propellant from the headspace is trapped near the valve and dispensed before the product, leading to product stranding
Solution Approach 1:
The container is inverted during dispensing so that the dispenser is at the top rather than the bottom. This inversion allows the propellant to rise to the headspace away from the valve, preventing it from being trapped and dispensed before the product. The product flows down to the valve under gravity, ensuring reliable product delivery while maintaining dispensing efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the container is stored upright with the dispenser at the top, then the propellant rises to form a headspace, but the propellant is trapped near the valve during dispensing and exits without product
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing system dynamically changes orientation from upright storage to inverted dispensing. During storage, the container remains upright allowing propellant to rise and form a stable headspace, maintaining foam stability. During dispensing, the container is inverted so the dispenser is at the top, allowing product to flow to the valve while propellant remains in the headspace, ensuring proper dispensing operation.
3Device complexity
If a typical jar is used for storage, then the container is simple and inexpensive, but the foam is thermodynamically unstable and gas is lost over shelf life and consumption period
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses pneumatic pressure from a propellant gas stored in a headspace to maintain foam stability. The pressurized propellant prevents gas escape from the foamed product during storage and consumption. This pneumatic system is integrated into a simple container structure with a dispenser valve, achieving foam stability without excessive device complexity.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If aerosol technology is used with propellant and product in the same container, then foam can be maintained over shelf life, but the propellant in the headspace is trapped during dispensing and product is stranded
Solution Approach 1:
The aerosol system dynamically inverts during dispensing to change the relative positions of the propellant headspace and the dispenser valve. During storage, the container remains upright with the propellant headspace at the top, maintaining foam stability over shelf life. During dispensing, the container is inverted so the dispenser is at the top and the propellant headspace is at the bottom, allowing product to flow to the valve while propellant remains separated, ensuring complete product dispensing without stranding.
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
This solution maintains the foamed state of products over their shelf life and consumption period, prevents product stranding, and provides a convenient, sanitary, and ergonomic dispensing method, reducing formulation costs and allowing for the use of higher-quality ingredients while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
the propellant in the head space and the product tend to move toward positions wherein the propellant in the head space is at a higher elevation than the product
Implementation Method 2
When the liquid product is dispensed its pressure drop across a dispenser valve causes the dissolved gas in the product to come out of solution and form a foam
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for storing and dispensing a viscous product. The product and a propellant are stored in a container on a base, and the propellant forms a head space. In a storage configuration, the container rests on the base, the base rests on a surface, and the propellant in the head space and the product tend to move toward positions wherein the propellant in the head space is at a higher elevation than the product and the product is at a higher elevation than an inlet to a dispenser. In one aspect, the base comprises a first portion, a second portion comprising a lid, a sidewall comprising a window, and an interior. In a second aspect, the method comprises storing the container in the storage configuration, removing the lid to expose a dispenser, dispensing the product, and viewing an interior of the base through the window.