Refillable Compact Liquid Dispenser With Membrane Pump Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid containers with dispensing mechanisms are inconvenient for travel due to size and weight, and travel packs often lack the same dispensing quality as standard packs, leading to wastage and inconsistent product delivery.
Innovation Solution
A two-part liquid container system where a parent container with a refillable child container allows for detachable and refillable use, utilizing a membrane as the moving and restoring part to ensure efficient liquid transfer without the need for complex seals or sliding parts, enabling easy transport and consistent product delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard pack container with dispensing mechanism is used for travel, then the product can be dispensed in its original form, but the container is too large and heavy for convenient transport
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the liquid storage function into two separate components: a large parent container for bulk storage and a small child container for portable use. The child container can be detached and carried separately, significantly reducing the weight and size of what the user must transport while maintaining access to the full supply in the parent container.
Solution Approach 2:
The child container is designed to nest within the parent container when not in use. This nested configuration allows the smaller container to be stored compactly within the larger one, minimizing the space and weight required for transport while ensuring the child container is readily available when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the liquid is transferred from the parent container to the child container manually, then the child container can be refilled, but spillage and contamination occur
Solution Approach 1:
A refill mechanism acts as an intermediary system between the parent and child containers. This mechanism includes a refill opening in the parent container that connects to the child container, allowing liquid to be transferred automatically or controllably without manual pouring, thereby eliminating spillage and contamination risks associated with manual transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of pouring and transferring liquid is replaced by a controlled refill mechanism that may utilize pressure differential, gravity feed, or pump-based systems. This substitution ensures precise, clean transfer of liquid from parent to child container without the harmful effects of manual handling.
3Ease of operation
If a smaller travel pack container is provided, then transport is easier, but the same delivery mechanism cannot be incorporated and product delivery is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The child container is designed with a universal dispensing mechanism that replicates the functionality of the parent container's delivery system. This allows the child container to provide consistent, reliable product delivery in the same form (liquid, mist, or foam) as the original container, maintaining product performance portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing mechanism in the child container is engineered to maintain the same operational parameters (pressure, flow rate, spray pattern) as the parent container despite the smaller size. This ensures that the product is delivered with consistent quality and performance characteristics regardless of which container is used.
4Volume of moving object
If the child container is made compact for travel, then portability is improved, but the membrane must be highly elastic to ensure complete liquid transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The child container utilizes a flexible membrane as its wall structure, which allows the container to collapse as liquid is dispensed. This flexible shell design enables the container to achieve compact dimensions while maintaining the ability to transfer liquid completely, as the membrane can deform to extract nearly all liquid from the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane material is selected and engineered with specific elastic properties that allow it to withstand the stress of complete liquid transfer while maintaining structural integrity. The elastic parameters of the membrane are optimized to provide sufficient flexibility for collapse during dispensing while preventing permanent deformation or failure.
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 allows for multiple refills of the child container from the parent, minimizing waste and ensuring the child container remains full when detached, providing a convenient and consistent dispensing mechanism for travel and everyday use.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane which partly defines the cavity in the child container and which is capable of expansion and contraction so as to draw liquid from the parent container into the child container
Implementation Method 2
a restoring means that stores a restoring force as liquid is expelled from the child container and that releases the restoring force so as to expand the cavity to the initial state
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a container system for liquids such as spray fragrances. The system includes a parent container (110) and a child container (120). The parent container provides a first cavity (113) for confining a liquid, and couples detachably to the child container for refilling the child container through a supply opening (111) in the parent container, so that the child container can be used for instance as a travel pack in a handbag or hand luggage. Here the child container is a compact dispenser, comprising a bowl-shaped rigid container (221) having a refill opening (222), which is kept closed by a valve unless the dispenser is connected to a supply container, and a dispense opening (224). These openings are located with a spacing from each other, and a pump (225) dispenses liquid from the dispense opening (224). In this particularly simple construction, the opening of the bowl is covered by a deformable membrane (227) to form a closed dispense cavity (226), the cavity becoming mainly or completely evacuated as the dispensing means is operated. The membrane then relaxes again, filling the dispenser, when the dispenser is re-applied to the parent container.