Bulk Refill Protection Sensor for Contamination-Free Liquid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid dispensing systems, such as those for soap and sanitizers, can become contaminated if the seal of the container is breached during refilling, leading to bacterial growth if not maintained properly.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing system equipped with a sensor that monitors the integrity of the container and a controller that generates output signals to prevent fluid dispensing if the container's integrity is breached, ensuring sanitary conditions by preventing refilling through the detection of light transmission changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the container seal is breached to refill the container with liquid, then the container can be refilled, but the system becomes contaminated and prone to bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The integrity sensor is installed on the container before use to continuously monitor seal integrity. This preliminary monitoring action detects potential breaches before they lead to contamination, preventing the harmful effect while allowing refill operations to proceed safely when integrity is maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller receives signals from the integrity sensor and generates output signals indicating whether the container integrity has been breached. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to seal status changes, preventing dispensing when contamination risk is detected while enabling safe refilling operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system prevents refilling to maintain sanitary conditions, then contamination is avoided, but the system loses flexibility in refilling operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical inspection methods with an optical integrity sensor that uses light transmission to detect seal breaches. This substitution enables automated, non-contact monitoring that maintains sanitary conditions while providing precise feedback on container integrity, allowing flexible refilling decisions based on actual sensor data rather than manual inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrity sensor monitors changes in light transmission parameters through the container wall to detect seal breaches. By tracking parameter changes (light transmission intensity) rather than requiring physical access or opening the container, the system maintains sanitary conditions while enabling continuous monitoring that supports flexible refilling operations.
3Reliability
If manual inspection of container integrity is used, then contamination can be detected, but the inspection process is time-consuming and may miss breaches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical sensor system that continuously monitors container integrity. This substitution eliminates time-consuming manual inspection while providing more reliable detection through consistent, objective light transmission measurements that can detect even subtle seal breaches that might be missed by human inspectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrity sensor provides continuous monitoring of container seal integrity rather than intermittent manual inspection. This continuous action ensures that breaches are detected immediately when they occur, improving reliability of contamination detection while eliminating the time loss associated with periodic manual checking intervals.
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 system effectively prevents contamination by ensuring only unbreached containers dispense fluid, maintaining sanitary conditions and reducing bacterial growth risks.
Implementation Method 1
detection of light transmission changes
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary dispensing system includes a dispenser, an actuator, a sensor, and a controller. The dispenser includes a container for holding liquid, a liquid pump, an air pump, an outlet nozzle, and a foaming media. The actuator causes the dispenser to dispense liquid or foam. The sensor generates an input signal indicative of a status of the container. The controller receives the input signal, generates at least one output signal, and prevents the dispenser from dispensing liquid or foam if a breach is detected in the container.