Removable Cartridge Cap Assembly with Venturi Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air treatment appliances and removable cartridges face issues such as complexity, high costs, inefficient diffused liquid characteristics, leakage, tampering, and contamination, which affect their effectiveness in dispersing compounds into treated spaces.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a removable cartridge with a cap assembly and a pump system that aerosolizes a liquid compound, utilizing a venturi insert to generate fine aerosol particles, and an appliance housing with a fan and sound deadening components to ensure efficient and tamper-proof operation, with features like alignment grooves and locking mechanisms for secure installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a removable cartridge design is used for air treatment appliances, then ease of operation and maintenance is improved, but reliability and security against leakage and contamination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is divided into separable components (receptacle and cap assembly) that can be easily removed and replaced. The cap assembly includes a venturi insert and base that interface with the receptacle, allowing modular replacement while maintaining secure connections through alignment features and locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
A seal member is introduced as an intermediary element between the cap assembly and receptacle to prevent leakage. The seal member engages with the receptacle mouth to create a tamper-proof seal, addressing the reliability concern while preserving the removable design for ease of operation.
2Productivity
If a venturi insert is used to aerosolize liquid compound, then productivity and dispersion efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The venturi insert is merged with the cap assembly as an integrated component. The base of the cap assembly includes a venturi body with a throat and outlet that are formed as one piece, eliminating the need for separate venturi components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high aerosolization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly serves multiple functions: it seals the receptacle, provides the venturi mechanism for aerosolization, and includes alignment features for secure attachment. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby reducing device complexity while improving productivity.
3Reliability
If alignment features and locking mechanisms are added to the cartridge, then reliability and security are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge employs asymmetric alignment features such as an offset mouth on the receptacle and corresponding asymmetric seal engagement surfaces on the cap assembly. This asymmetric design provides inherent alignment and tamper-proof sealing without requiring complex locking mechanisms, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 provides a robust, efficient, and non-obtrusive method for treating spaces with aerosolized compounds, ensuring effective dispersion and minimizing leakage and contamination, while maintaining a tamper-proof and cost-effective system.
Implementation Method 1
a pump operatively coupled to the removable cartridge to supply air to the removable cartridge to generate the aerosolized compound from the liquid compound contained in the removable cartridge
Implementation Method 2
The design includes a removable cartridge with a cap assembly and a pump system that aerosolizes a liquid compound, utilizing a venturi insert to generate fine aerosol particles
Implementation Method 3
a sound deadening or muffling device that is positioned within the pump cavity to substantially fill a void between the pump and the appliance housing
Data Source
AI summary
An air treatment appliance is provided which includes an appliance housing and a removable cartridge received therein. The removable cartridge includes a receptacle containing a liquid compound to be aerosolized within an interior thereof and a cap assembly coupled to the receptacle. The cap assembly includes a cap, a venturi insert, and a base attached together without welds or separate fasteners to define an air inlet chamber on one side of the venturi insert, a venturi outlet passage on the other side of the venturi insert in fluid communication with the interior of the receptacle, and an aerosol outlet chamber partitioned from the interior of the receptacle by the base and in fluid communication with an outlet of the cap through which aerosolized compound generated by the venturi insert is discharged during operation.