Deformable Cannula Dispensing Head for Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing dispensing head design suffers from leakage issues in the supply channel connecting the sleeve to the dispensing nozzle, leading to fluid product contamination and limited material choices for the casing, which must be compatible with the fluid and aesthetically appealing.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing head design where the deformable cannula forms the fluid supply passage solely from the core, eliminating the need for tight assembly and allowing the casing to be made of any material, including incompatible ones, with the cannula being deformed during assembly to connect the sleeve to the dispensing orifice, preventing leakage and oxidation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the supply channel is formed by assembling the core inside the casing with tight intimate contacts, then the supply channel connection is achieved, but fluid product leakage occurs between the core and casing
Solution Approach 1:
The supply channel is segmented into two separate components: a rigid channel formed in the core and a flexible channel formed in the casing. The flexible channel acts as an independent sealing element that can deform to maintain intimate contact with the rigid channel, preventing leakage without requiring perfect initial alignment or tight assembly tolerances between the core and casing.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing material parameters are modified to provide flexibility to the flexible channel portion. This flexibility allows the channel to deform and adapt during assembly, ensuring continuous intimate contact with the rigid channel and eliminating leakage paths that would occur with rigid materials alone.
2Reliability
If the casing is made of material compatible with the fluid product, then fluid product preservation is improved, but material choice is limited and aesthetic appeal may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented such that only the flexible channel portion of the casing contacts the fluid product, while the main visible body of the casing remains isolated from fluid contact. This allows the main casing to be made of aesthetically appealing materials like metal without compromising fluid product preservation, as the flexible channel material alone needs to be fluid-compatible.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible channel acts as an intermediary barrier between the fluid product and the casing material. This intermediary ensures that fluid-compatible materials are used only where necessary for fluid contact, while allowing versatile material choices for the visible casing portions that do not contact the fluid.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cannula is made straight for simple injection molding, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the cannula cannot connect the sleeve to the offset dispensing orifice
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is designed with a deformable flexible section that can change shape during assembly. The cannula is initially formed straight or in a simple configuration suitable for injection molding, then deformed into the required angled or curved shape to connect the axial sleeve to the offset dispensing orifice. This dynamic shaping approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving the necessary complex geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is preliminarily formed in a simple, moldable configuration that is easy to manufacture via injection molding. The final complex shape required to connect offset components is then achieved through deformation during assembly, separating the manufacturing step from the configuration step.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid product dispensing head to be mounted onto an axial actuation rod (31) of a dispensing member (3). Said head includes an inner core (1) and an outer housing (2), the core (1) forming a connection sleeve (11) having an axis (X), to be mounted onto the axial actuation rod (31), and the housing (2) forming a long dispensing tip (23) that is offset relative to said axis (X). Said head is characterized in that the core (1) forms a deformable cannula (14) that is connected to the connection sleeve (11) and extends into the tip (23) of the housing (2), forming a first substantially rectilinear section (14a) transverse to the axis (X), a second bent section (14b), and a third section inserted into the dispensing tip (23). The cannula (14) is initially rectilinear over the entire length thereof and is deformed when inserted into the tip (23).