Discrete-Cycle Pump Dispensing for Variable Dose Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dispensers with pumps having discrete dispense cycles require different designs for various product doses, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing and power usage, as well as larger physical sizes for larger doses, making them inefficient for applications needing different doses and battery-powered operation challenging.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser with a pump designed to dispense a discrete dose less than the desired dose, utilizing a controller to actuate the pump multiple times to achieve the desired dose, allowing for adjustable dispensing without changing the pump design, and optimizing battery power usage by reducing the required power level for actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pump is designed to dispense a larger discrete dose, then the desired dose can be achieved in fewer actuations, but the pump physical size increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is designed to dispense a smaller discrete dose (e.g., 0.5 mL) instead of a larger dose, requiring multiple actuations (e.g., 2-4 times) to achieve the desired total dose. This segmentation of the dispensing task into smaller units reduces the pump's physical size while maintaining dispensing capability through repeated cycles.
2Productivity
If a pump is designed to dispense a larger discrete dose, then fewer actuations are needed, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing process is segmented into multiple low-power actuations rather than a single high-power actuation. Each actuation of the smaller pump consumes less power, and the cumulative energy usage is reduced compared to operating a larger pump, especially when considering battery-operated dispensers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different pump designs are created for various product doses, then each application gets optimized performance, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized pump design with a small discrete dose capacity is made universal by programming the controller to actuate the pump multiple times according to a predetermined number. This allows the same pump hardware to serve multiple applications with different desired doses, eliminating the need for custom pump designs for each application and simplifying manufacturing.
4Ease of operation
If a pump dispenses a discrete dose equal to the desired dose, then one actuation suffices, but the pump cannot accommodate different dose requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static pump design fixed for one dose to a dynamic operation where the same pump can deliver variable doses by actuating multiple times. The controller dynamically adjusts the number of actuations based on the desired dose, maintaining operational simplicity while achieving dose flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser includes a pump that, upon actuation, progresses through a discrete dispense cycle to dispense a discrete dose of product. The dispenser further includes an actuating mechanism serving to actuate the pump, and a dispenser controller that controls operation of the actuation mechanism. The discrete dose is less than a desired dose. When the dispenser controller receives a single dispense request, the dispenser controller causes the actuating mechanism to actuate the pump through multiple discrete dispense cycles so as to dispense multiple discrete doses to achieve a dispensing of the desired dose.