Deformable Chamber Pump With Slot Sealing and Ergonomic Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid and viscous product dispensers using slits as sealed slots face issues with imperfect seals and contamination risks, making it difficult to create a functional pumping system that can be operated with reduced hand effort and provide a caressing sensation.
Innovation Solution
A pump design featuring an elastically deformable chamber with a slot and an opening, where the chamber can create excess pressure to open the slot for product release and close it to admit replacement fluid, ensuring a flat exterior surface for ergonomic operation and minimizing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed slot is used in a liquid dispenser, then the seal quality improves and contamination is prevented, but the ergonomics deteriorate due to protrusions that interfere with complete liquid collection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different geometric qualities to different regions of the slot structure. The slot has a sealed configuration with inclined sides in the regions where sealing is critical, while maintaining a planar wall chamber configuration in the collection region to ensure good ergonomics. This local differentiation allows the same slot structure to provide both excellent sealing and comfortable liquid collection.
2Device complexity
If a simple slot is used for product outlet, then the structure simplifies, but the pump functionality deteriorates because the slot allows bidirectional flow and air infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates asymmetric flow characteristics through the slot geometry. The slot has inclined sides that are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, forming a kind of wedge shape. This asymmetric configuration allows liquid to pass through easily in the downward direction while preventing air from entering in the upward direction, thus providing rectified flow without complex mechanical components.
3Reliability
If non-planar walls are used around the slot, then the seal improves due to atmospheric pressure pressing on the edges, but the ergonomics worsen due to protrusions felt by the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the slot structure into distinct functional zones: a sealed region with inclined sides for atmospheric pressure sealing, and a planar wall chamber region for ergonomic liquid collection. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its local function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between seal quality and ergonomics.
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 pump effectively dispenses liquid or viscous products with reduced effort, minimizing contamination and ensuring a clean, reproducible process while maintaining a sealed environment, facilitating the use of the product in dishwashing or cosmetics applications.
Implementation Method 1
the chamber being capable of deforming elastically, by pressure from a user, to create excess pressure in the product relative to the outside, and to open the slot
Implementation Method 2
the chamber being capable of causing its deformation to disappear elastically, following the cessation of the user's support, to create a depression in the product
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pump that can be operated manually or by a utensil held in one hand by a user, characterised in that it comprises an elastically deformable chamber (10), the inside of which can contain a liquid or viscous product (8) and the outside of which can be brought into contact with the air, in a gap (7) in said chamber (10), and with a replacement fluid, in an opening (6) in said chamber. The invention is also characterised in that the chamber can be elastically deformed by pressure exerted by a user, in order to create an overpressure in the product (8) in relation to the outside, and to open the gap (7), letting a useful amount of the product (8) escape; in that the chamber (10) can elastically regain its original form when the user releases the pressure, in order to create a depression in the product (8), in the presence of a flow of replacement fluid via the opening (6) towards the inside, and to close the gap (7); and in that the wall of the chamber (10) is essentially plane to the vicinity of said gap (7).