Agitating Canister Screen Elevation and Centralizer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing canister designs for viscous fluids face issues with restrictive flow due to the placement of the screen/filter at the bottom, inadequate agitation proximity, difficulty in cleaning and maintenance of screens, fluid spillage during filling, and interference of agitation blades with the filling process.
Innovation Solution
An improved design featuring an annular screen element elevated above the bottom outlet, a deflector cap to prevent spillage, and a centralizer to stabilize the agitator shaft during filling, along with a snap-fit construction for easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the screen/filter is placed at the bottom of the canister, then the canister structure is simple, but the flow through the screen becomes restrictive and the effective screen surface area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is elevated from the bottom plane to a higher position within the canister, creating a vertical dimension for flow passage. This allows fluid to approach the screen from below through an enlarged under-screen space, increasing effective flow area while maintaining screen positioning for filtration function
2Volume of moving object
If the screen is placed close to the bottom outlet, then the canister structure is compact, but the agitation blades cannot agitate in close proximity to the screen allowing settled fluid to accumulate
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is positioned at an elevated vertical level within the canister, creating sufficient clearance space below it for agitation blades to operate. This vertical spacing enables blades to scrape and agitate near the screen surface, preventing settled fluid accumulation and clogging while maintaining compact overall canister dimensions
3Reliability
If the agitation blade shaft is long with radial paddles, then the agitation coverage is improved, but the shaft interferes with the filling process and causes spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The agitator shaft is repositioned to a centralized location within the canister, extracting it from the filling path. This central positioning allows filling operations to proceed without interference from the shaft or paddles, eliminating spillage while maintaining agitation effectiveness through proper blade placement around the central shaft
4Device complexity
If the screen/filter is placed at the bottom, then the canister structure is simple, but the screen cannot be easily removed for cleaning and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The screen assembly is segmented from the canister body as a separate, removable component. The screen is mounted on a support structure that allows it to be detached and removed independently, enabling easy cleaning and maintenance while keeping the overall canister structure relatively simple
Data Source
AI summary
An improved canister assembly for a multi-fluid dispenser is shown and described. The canister assembly comprises an annular outer shell with an outer cylindrical wall connected to a bottom which, in turn, is connected to an inner cylindrical wall that serves as a standpipe. The bottom includes an outlet connected to a pump A hollow agitator shaft slides over the inner standpipe and includes a plurality of outwardly extending blades for stirring or “agitating” the fluid. An annular screen element is disposed below the bottom end of the agitator shaft. Beneath the annular screen element is a lower agitator blade element The lower blade element and the lower end of the agitator shaft are snap-fitted together with the annular screen element sandwiched therebetween. The screen element includes a cylindrical shell with the annular screen disposed upwards from the lower end of the cylindrical shell so that the screen is spaced above the bottom wall and to make room for the lower blade element. Blades disposed on the lower end of the agitator shaft scrape or brush a top surface of the annular screen and the blades of the lower blade element scrape or brush a bottom surface of the annular screen. Sufficient space is provided between annular screen and the bottom outlet to prevent clogging. A deflector cap is provided for a top end of the hollow agitator shaft to prevent spillage of fluid material through the agitator shaft when the canister is refilled. The deflector cap can also be snap-fitted to the agitator shaft. A centralizer is also provided for holding the agitator shaft in place during refilling of the canister.