Air Bubble Ingress Prevention in Liquid Discharge Plungers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plunger type discharge devices face challenges in preventing air bubble ingress during the filling process, leading to variations in the discharged liquid amount and difficulty in automation, as existing methods require additional equipment or are operator-dependent.
Innovation Solution
An air bubble ingress prevention mechanism is introduced, featuring a metering section with a flow passage and a plunger that includes a first hole with a larger inner diameter than the plunger, and a second hole with a smaller diameter, along with sealing members to prevent air bubbles from entering the metering section, allowing for simple and automated filling without additional equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the plunger is moved backward to fill the liquid material into the metering section, then the liquid material can be supplied, but air bubbles are generated or remain in the metering section due to pressure reduction
Solution Approach 1:
A vent hole is introduced as an intermediary structure that allows air bubbles to escape from the metering section during the filling process. The vent hole is positioned and designed to enable air to be discharged while preventing liquid material from leaking, thus mediating between the need to fill liquid and the need to remove air bubbles.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering section is segmented into distinct functional zones: a liquid discharge region and an air discharge region. The vent hole is specifically positioned to create an air discharge passage that is spatially separated from the liquid discharge path, allowing air and liquid to be handled independently during the filling process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If existing air bubble prevention methods are used, then air bubbles can be purged, but additional equipment or operator intervention is required
Solution Approach 1:
The metering section is designed to automatically remove air bubbles during the normal filling operation without requiring external vacuum devices or manual intervention. The vent hole enables the system to self-regulate by allowing air to escape naturally as liquid is supplied, making the air removal function inherent to the filling process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The air bubble removal function is merged with the liquid filling operation. The vent hole is integrated into the metering section structure and operates simultaneously with the liquid supply process, combining two functions (liquid filling and air removal) into a single integrated operation rather than requiring separate steps or equipment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the vent hole is positioned to allow air discharge, then air bubbles can escape, but liquid material may leak from the vent hole
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the metering section are given different functional qualities: the vent hole region is designed specifically for air discharge while the main body is optimized for liquid containment and discharge. The vent hole's position, size, and orientation are locally optimized to allow air passage while maintaining liquid sealing through the interaction with the plunger and sealing members.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes dynamic conditions during the filling process to control vent hole function. As the plunger moves and pressure changes occur during liquid supply, the vent hole dynamically transitions between allowing air discharge and preventing liquid leakage, with its function determined by the instantaneous pressure differential and liquid level in the metering section.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3(a)~3(d)
AI summary
Disclosed are an air bubble ingress prevention mechanism, a liquid material discharge device provided with the air bubble ingress prevention mechanism, and a liquid material discharge method, with which a constant filled state can be achieved without variations and without requiring any additional equipment when a metering section is filled with liquid material. A discharge device is provided with a metering section which has a flow passage communicating with a nozzle, and a plunger which moves back and forth within the flow passage of the metering section. The discharge device comprises an air bubble ingress prevention mechanism which can be mounted at the end of the metering section on the opposite side to the nozzle, and which includes: a first hole which communicates with the flow passage of the metering section, and within which the plunger moves back and forth; a first sealing member which is provided at the end of the first hole at the nozzle side; a second sealing member which is provided at the end of the first hole at the opposite side to the nozzle; and a second hole which communicates with the side face of the first hole.