Capillary Lubricant Packaging for Precise Timepiece Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for lubricating timepieces, such as packaging bottles, are not optimized for watchmakers, leading to suboptimal storage and degradation of lubricants due to excess volume, contamination risks, and inefficiencies in using small quantities.
Innovation Solution
A compact packaging device featuring a hollow capillary tube with a wax piston and plastic rod, allowing controlled dispensing of a small volume of lubricant, made of inert glass with a colored key for identification, and sealed plugs for transport, ensuring minimal degradation and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If packaging means use a large volume of lubricant, then the lubricant can be stored for extended periods, but the lubricant degrades over time and must be discarded
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging device divides the lubricant storage into a large external reservoir and a small internal capillary tube. The capillary tube contains only the small quantity needed for immediate use (0.02-0.1ml), while the bulk lubricant remains sealed in the external packaging. This segmentation allows the used lubricant to be discarded without wasting the entire supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the small required quantity of lubricant from the bulk supply and places it in a separate capillary tube for immediate use. This extraction isolates the small volume that would otherwise remain in the opened bottle and degrade over time.
2Ease of operation
If a screwdriver is used to take small quantities from the bottle, then the lubricant can be accessed, but the lubricant becomes contaminated and degrades faster
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube acts as an intermediary between the bulk lubricant supply and the watchmaker's application tools. It provides a contamination-free interface where the lubricant can be transferred without direct contact with external tools like screwdrivers, thus preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary tube is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after use. This eliminates the need for cleaning and sterilization procedures, and ensures that each new tube provides fresh, uncontaminated lubricant without the degradation risks associated with reused tools.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact packaging device is used, then the lubricant can be transported safely and identified easily, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube is nested within the larger packaging structure, which includes an external reservoir, piston mechanism, and protective elements. This nested arrangement allows the compact capillary tube to be integrated into a functional packaging system that provides both compactness and the necessary dispensing mechanisms.
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 device provides a secure, space-efficient means to transport and use lubricants, minimizing waste and preserving their quality by allowing precise quantity control and quick usage, reducing contamination risks and extending the lubricant's freshness.
Implementation Method 1
a second free opening 11 through which the lubricant 2 flows when pressure is exerted on the piston 3 by means of the movable rod 4
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a conditioning device for a lubricant, the device comprising a hollow capillary tube intended to contain the lubricant, the tube comprising on the one hand a first opening closed by a piston arranged to cooperate with a rod movable longitudinally in the capillary tube, and on the other hand, a second free opening through which the lubricant flows when pressure is exerted on the piston by means of the movable rod.