Cosmetic Applicator Control Ring Rotation Stop Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing applicators for fluid cosmetic products face issues with maintaining alignment and tightness due to wear from helical movement, leading to incomplete fluid-tight closure over time.
Innovation Solution
An applicator design featuring a control ring mounted for simple rotation with stop means to ensure precise alignment and locking, eliminating the need for helical movement and addressing wear-related issues, using a support ring and locking/unlocking mechanisms with discs and grooves for secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If helical movement (screw threads) is used to mount the control ring on the container, then the control ring can be securely mounted and aligned, but wear occurs over time leading to loss of tightness in the closed position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful helical movement mechanism (screw threads) that causes wear, and replaces it with a simple rotational mounting mechanism combined with stop means. This eliminates the progressive wear problem while maintaining secure mounting and alignment of the control ring on the container throughout the service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the movement parameter from helical (combined rotation and translation) to simple rotation only. This parameter change eliminates the wear mechanism inherent in threaded connections while preserving the functional requirements of secure mounting and precise alignment through the introduction of stop means.
2Manufacturing precision
If an end stop is added to prevent over-screwing and ensure alignment, then alignment is maintained, but wear compensation is prevented leading to fluid leaks over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the problematic combination of end stop with helical movement, and instead pairs the end stop with simple rotational movement. This extraction eliminates the contradiction by preventing over-rotation while allowing wear compensation through the ability to re-rotate the control ring to compensate for wear without being constrained by threaded engagement.
3Reliability
If helical movement is used, then secure mounting is achieved, but the number of tolerances to be considered in production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the complex helical mechanical system (screw threads requiring precise pitch, lead, and engagement tolerances) with a simpler rotational system using stop means. This reduces the number of critical tolerances from multiple dimensional constraints in threaded connections to primarily radial and axial tolerances in the simple rotation and stop positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an applicator for a fluid product such as a cosmetic product, of the type including: a container (101) having an outlet, a control ring (133) which is mounted to the container such that it can move between a closed position in which it seals the outlet and an open position in which it opens the outlet, and an application member (155) which is mounted to the control ring such as to communicate with the outlet when the ring is in the open position. The control ring is rotatably mounted to the container, abutment means (129, 135) being provided in order to stop the travel of the ring towards the closed position thereof.