Cam-Adjusted Fluid Dispenser for Full Pump Retraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable hand cleaning fluid dispensers suffer from issues such as loose manual pressers, reduced range of motion, and air entrapment due to incomplete pump retraction, leading to priming and dosage consistency problems.
Innovation Solution
A fluid dispenser with a pump mechanism that moves between a selected extended and retracted position, utilizing a cam-based dose adjustment mechanism to ensure full retraction regardless of dosage setting, preventing air entrapment and maintaining consistent dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the distance that the manual presser can be moved is limited to adjust dosage, then the volume of fluid dispensed is reduced, but the manual presser feels loose and has reduced range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
A cam mechanism serves as an intermediary between the pump plunger and the actuator. The cam converts the actuator's full stroke motion into variable pump plunger extension distances, allowing dosage adjustment without limiting the actuator's range of motion. The cam profile determines the pump plunger's extended position while the actuator maintains its complete travel distance.
2Quantity of substance
If a lost link is introduced in the connection between the manual presser and the fluid pump to adjust dosage, then the volume of fluid dispensed is reduced, but the pump may be prevented from returning to a fully retracted position
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism acts as an intermediary that decouples the actuator's motion from the pump plunger's extension distance. The cam allows the pump plunger to extend to different positions based on cam profile, while ensuring the actuator can always return the pump plunger to its fully retracted position, maintaining reliable priming and dosage consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of limiting the actuator's motion to control dosage, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the actuator's full stroke and using the cam profile to determine the pump plunger's extended position. The cam translates the actuator's motion into the desired variable extension distance, ensuring complete retraction is always achieved.
3Reliability
If the pump is prevented from returning to a fully retracted position, then air becomes entrapped within the pump, but dosage consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism serves as an intermediary that ensures the pump plunger always returns to its fully retracted position at the end of each actuator stroke, regardless of the dosage setting. This complete retraction prevents air entrapment and maintains consistent priming, while the cam profile simultaneously controls the pump plunger's extended position to achieve the desired dosage.
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 solution allows for adjustable fluid dispensing without the feeling of a loose presser, ensures complete pump retraction, and maintains dosage consistency across different settings, enhancing user experience and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator has a camming surface, and the dose adjustment mechanism preferably includes a cam body that presents a cam surface for engagement with the camming surface
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid dispenser having a pump mechanism that dispenses a dose of fluid when a movable pump member of the pump mechanism is moved between a selected extended position and a retracted position. The fluid dispenser includes a dose adjustment mechanism for selecting the selected extended position from at least a high dose extended position and a low dose extended position. An actuator of the fluid dispenser, when activated, effects movement of the movable pump member between the selected extended position and the retracted position to dispense the dose of fluid. A volume of the dose of fluid that is dispensed upon activation of the actuator is higher when the high dose extended position is the selected extended position than when the low dose extended position is the selected extended position.