Bi-material Attachment Ring for Pump Tank Neck
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixing devices for dispenser members, such as pumps or valves, face challenges in securely holding the hoop on the ring due to lack of sufficient contact, often requiring costly machining of the hoop with recessed or projecting profiles, which increases production costs.
Innovation Solution
A bi-material fixing ring made of a substantially hard and flexible plastic material, where the flexible material comes into contact with the hoop to enhance radial tightening and the hard material ensures secure reception of the pump or valve, allowing for improved hoop retention without additional machining costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If profiles are machined on the internal wall of the hoop to improve holding, then the hoop retention is enhanced, but the manufacturing cost increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the ring from a single hard plastic to a bi-material construction with an outer layer of flexible material. This material parameter change allows the ring to deform and conform to the hoop's internal wall profiles without requiring machining, thus improving retention while maintaining simple manufacturing through injection molding
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials by combining two different plastic materials with distinct properties: a hard inner material for structural support and a flexible outer material for conforming to the hoop. This composite structure enables the ring to achieve both mechanical strength and adaptive retention without complex machining operations
2Strength
If a single hard plastic material is used for the ring, then the structural strength is maintained, but the contact quality with the hoop is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by giving different regions of the ring different material properties: the inner region maintains hard plastic for structural strength, while the outer region uses flexible material for enhanced contact quality with the hoop. This spatial differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and contact quality
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 bi-material design provides a strong and secure attachment of the hoop to the ring, enhancing radial tightening and friction, while maintaining the rigidity needed for receiving the pump or valve, thus improving the overall holding mechanism without increasing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
the second flexible material deforms more easily, and will therefore come into intimate contact with the hoop over an extended surface, which considerably increases the radial tightening allowing the hoop to be securely held on the ring
Implementation Method 2
the second flexible material comes into contact with the hoop to enhance radial tightening and friction
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6a~7
AI summary
The invention relates to an attachment device for attaching a dispensing member (P), such as a pump or a valve, onto a neck (C) of a tank (R), the device including: an attachment ring (B) including receiving means (12) for fixedly receiving the dispensing member (P), an annular plate (13) for applying an axial pressure onto the neck (C), and a coupling skirt (S; S') extending downward from the plate (13), said skirt (S; S') including coupling means (20) for providing a coupling around the neck (C), wherein the ring (B) is made of two different plastic materials, i.e. a first substantially hard material (M1) and a second flexible material (M2) that is more flexible than the first material (M1); and a hoop (3) extending, in the final mounting position, around the skirt (S; S') of the ring (B) with a radial clamping, characterized in that the second flexible material (M2) comes into contact with the hoop (3).