Applicator device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing applicator devices contaminate, irritate, or mechanically impair delicate surfaces due to the flexible carrier sheet's border coming into contact with the surface during application, and require excessive pressure to dispense the active substance through a non-impervious applicator layer.
Innovation Solution
The applicator device features a main weakening line surrounding the applicator portion, allowing the carrier sheet's border to be removed, with applicator pads and ribs maintaining the carrier sheet off the surface, and the applicator layer being the primary contact point, ensuring the substance is applied without direct contact with the carrier sheet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the carrier sheet is used to provide mechanical stability and handling properties, then the device can be handled stably, but the carrier sheet border contacts the surface and contaminates or irritates delicate surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier sheet is segmented into a reusable stable backing portion and a removable applicator portion. The applicator portion includes the applicator layer with active substance and is designed to be separated from the carrier sheet along weakening lines, allowing the stable backing to remain while the applicator portion contacts the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful carrier sheet border is extracted and removed from the application area. The applicator portion is designed to be ripped off along weakening lines, taking the potential contamination source away from the delicate surface while retaining the mechanical stability of the remaining carrier sheet.
2Reliability
If the active substance is enclosed between applicator layer and carrier sheet, then the substance is protected, but excessive pressure is required to dispense the substance through the non-impervious applicator layer
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator layer is pre-impregnated with the active substance during manufacturing, and the applicator portion is pre-assembled with the carrier sheet. This preliminary preparation allows the substance to be readily available for transfer without requiring excessive pressure during application.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator layer is designed with localized properties - it is non-impervious only in the specific area where substance transfer is needed, while maintaining protective enclosure elsewhere. This localized permeability allows substance dispersion without requiring excessive pressure.
3Quantity of substance
If the applicator layer is made non-impervious to allow substance penetration, then the substance can be applied, but the dry applicator layer contacts the surface first causing potential irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator layer is pre-impregnated with the active substance during the manufacturing process, ensuring that the substance is already present and distributed before use. This eliminates the issue of dry applicator layer contact, as the substance is ready for immediate transfer without requiring the user to wait for substance appearance.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
Figure 8~10
AI summary
An applicator device (1) comprises a top and a bottom layer (3, 5) of a flexible material tightly connected at their borders. An edge constitutes a grip zone (26) to handle the applicator (1). Parallel weakening lines (14, 16) in each layer (3, 5) define an application section and closely surround a pad (9, 11) of a material capable to retain an agent (35) or an elevation (46) constituting a confinement structure for an agent (35). The superposition of weakening line and border of agent carrying material or the elevation constituting a part of the confinement structure avoids a contact of the flexible material with the surface (36) to be treated as the carrying material layer (9, 11) or the confinement structure (46) serve as spacer means. As a consequence, the applicator is suited to be used on highly sensitive surfaces like skin or mucosa.