Bottle top pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle top pumps lack mechanisms to indicate usage and are prone to leakage during transport and storage when inverted.
Innovation Solution
A piston pump assembly with a tamper-evident latching system and a vent structure that ensures air ventilation to prevent vacuum buildup, integrated with a dispenser to indicate usage and prevent leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pump assembly is coupled to a bottle against removal for single use, then the pump provides convenient fluid dispensing, but it cannot visually indicate whether it has been previously used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a frangible member that changes its physical state from intact to broken, providing visual information about pump usage. When the pump is first used, the frangible member breaks, which can be visually detected to indicate that the pump has been activated and the fluid is ready for dispensing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a pump assembly is coupled to a bottle against removal for transport, then it ensures portability, but it leaks when inverted or tipped over
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a latching mechanism that preemptively secures the pump assembly to the bottle in a specific orientation during transport. The latch prevents the pump from moving or inverting relative to the bottle, thereby preventing leakage before it can occur during inverted or tipped transport conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible member is pre-positioned to break upon first use, serving as a preliminary action that activates the pump mechanism and ensures proper fluid flow path establishment before actual dispensing begins, preventing leakage during subsequent handling.
3Device complexity
If a pump assembly lacks a vent structure, then it has simpler construction, but vacuum buildup prevents proper fluid dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vent structure that acts as an intermediary component between the pump chamber and the external environment. This vent allows air to enter the pump chamber to replace fluid volume as it is dispensed, preventing vacuum buildup that would otherwise inhibit proper fluid flow, while adding minimal complexity to the overall assembly.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A pump assembly which provides a frangible air vent mechanism for providing communication between the atmosphere and the interior of a bottle to which the pump assembly is to be coupled. A vent port is provided through a bottle cap member having an inner end open into the bottle and an outer end open to the atmosphere. A frangible plug member is received in the vent port with the frangible plug member when unbroken preventing flow through the vent port and the plug member when broken permitting flow through the vent port. A vent tab member is coupled to the frangible member with the vent tab member extending from the frangible member accessible on the exterior of the bottle cap member for engagement to apply forces to the vent tab that are translated to the frangible vent member to break the frangible member.