Dip Tube Insertion Member for Bottom-Loading Water Dispensers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water dispensers face challenges with the installation of heavy 18.9-liter water bottles and sanitation difficulties, particularly in Bottom-Loading systems which have more water contact components, making them harder to sanitize effectively.
Innovation Solution
A dip tube insertion member with a probe that unseals the sealing cap of a liquid storage container without removing it, allowing for easy insertion of a dip tube and forming an air chamber to facilitate air entry, combined with a dispensing apparatus that includes a main housing and conduit for dispensing liquid from a storage container positioned below the dispensing location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing cap is used to seal the liquid storage container, then the sanitary characteristics are improved, but the dip tube insertion becomes difficult without removing the cap
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cap is segmented into a removable sealing member and a cap body. The sealing member can be detached from the cap body to allow dip tube insertion, while the cap body remains on the container. This segmentation enables both maintaining the seal and facilitating insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
An insertion member is introduced as an intermediary tool that facilitates dip tube insertion through the sealing cap without requiring complete removal of the cap. The insertion member creates a passage through the sealing member, allowing the dip tube to be inserted while maintaining the sealing function of the cap body.
2Ease of operation
If Bottom-Loading water dispensers are used to avoid heavy bottle lifting, then ease of installation is improved, but the number of water contact components increases making sanitation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is extracted as a separate, removable component from the cap body. This allows the sealing member to be easily removed and sanitized independently, reducing the number of permanent water contact components in the system and simplifying the sanitation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member can be discarded after use and replaced with a new one, eliminating the need for complex sanitation of permanent sealing components. This disposable approach ensures sanitation without requiring multiple water contact components to be cleaned and maintained.
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 enables easy and sanitary dispensing of liquids while being relatively inexpensive to produce and simple to sanitize, addressing the installation and sanitation issues of previous water dispensers.
Implementation Method 1
The air chamber is configured to receive and direct air to at least one air passageway communicating with an interior of the liquid container
Data Source
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AI summary
A dip tube insertion member (A) adapted to be used with a liquid dispensing apparatus. The dip tube insertion member (A) facilitates insertion of a dip tube (D) into a liquid storage container (C) without removing the sealing cap (B) of a liquid storage container. The dip tube insertion member includes a probe (6) having a hollow cavity (28) for receiving a dip tube. The probe further includes an upper opening (34) and a lower opening (32) for facilitating insertion of a dip tube into the liquid container. Preferably, the dip tube insertion member takes the form of a cap that is mounted on and about at least a portion of the scaling cap of a liquid storage container of the liquid dispensing apparatus. The dip tube insertion member preferably includes a sealing member (18) forming an air chamber surrounding the probe.