Aerosol Unit Carrier Member Insert-Moulding for Leakage Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aerosol dispensers with micro nozzles face challenges in controlling droplet coalescence and leakage due to air or gas flow through gaps between components, leading to reduced performance and accuracy in delivering aerosols to designated targets.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol unit with an axially oriented body featuring a carrier member insert-moulded between the inlet and outlet parts, which includes through-holes for air-tight sealing and generates protective fluid flows to prevent droplet deposition, utilizing a metal sheet carrier for precise hole creation and assembly, and a turbulence structure to mix aerosols effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a porous filter is used to create laminar flow, then droplet deposition on surfaces is prevented, but air leakage along the edges occurs due to the flexible nature of the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is integrated into the aerosol unit structure through insert-moulding, merging the filter function with the structural housing. This eliminates gaps between separate components and prevents air leakage while maintaining the laminar flow function to prevent droplet deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter acts as an intermediary element between the aerosol generation chamber and the outlet, creating a controlled flow path. The insert-moulded integration ensures this intermediary component seals properly with the housing, preventing leakage while maintaining its flow-control function.
2Productivity
If micro nozzle dies are made smaller to increase wafer yield, then manufacturing efficiency improves, but positioning precision becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle carrier is integrated into the aerosol unit housing through insert-moulding, merging the positioning function with the structural component. This eliminates separate assembly steps and reduces cumulative tolerances, enabling precise positioning of small micro nozzle dies while maintaining high wafer yield.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier member with pre-formed through-holes is insert-moulded into the housing before final assembly, performing the positioning action in advance. This preliminary integration ensures precise alignment of the micro nozzle dies with the flow channels and outlet, critical for maintaining manufacturing precision despite smaller dimensions.
3Productivity
If air mixing channels are designed to control flow patterns, then aerosol delivery performance improves, but air leakage through component gaps disrupts the engineered flow
Solution Approach 1:
The air mixing channels are integrated directly into the aerosol unit housing structure, merging the flow control function with the structural component. This eliminates gaps between separate channels and housing, preventing air leakage while maintaining the engineered flow patterns essential for aerosol delivery performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated housing structure acts as an intermediary that contains and directs the air flow through the mixing channels. By eliminating gaps through insert-moulding, this intermediary structure ensures stable flow control while maintaining the performance-enhancing flow patterns.
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 solution eliminates leakage issues, enhances the precision of aerosol delivery by maintaining engineered flow patterns, and ensures a higher percentage of the aerosol reaches the intended target, improving the overall performance and reliability of aerosol dispensers.
Implementation Method 1
the carrier member is insert-moulded in the body such that a contact surface between the nozzle carrier and the body forms an air-tight seal
Implementation Method 2
a turbulence structure to mix aerosols effectively
Implementation Method 3
the carrier member comprises through-holes which place the inlet part in fluid communication with the outlet part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An aerosol unit (10) for an aerosol dispenser, which aerosol unit (10) comprises an axially oriented body (20), having a distal inlet part (22) and a proximal outlet part (24); a carrier member (31) arranged in the body (20), transversally to the axis between the inlet part (22) and the outlet part (24); and wherein the carrier member (31) comprises through-holes (32) which place the inlet part (22) in fluid communication with the outlet part (24), and wherein the carrier member (31) is insert-moulded into the body (20) such that a contact surface between the carrier (31) and the body (20) forms an air-tight seal.