Liquid Dispenser With Pressurized Chamber and One-Way Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers for liquid products, such as pesticides and cleaning agents, are uncomfortable to use due to weight, produce irregular spray patterns, and often require inconvenient pumping actions, with limited autonomy and environmental concerns associated with disposable refill packs.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser with a rigid chamber under pressure, equipped with a spring and piston, and a pump arrangement connected through one-way valves, allowing for easy refilling and maintaining constant pressure for consistent spray patterns, using a flexible refill pack and ergonomic design for comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid bottle is used to hold liquid under pressure, then the spray pattern can be maintained more consistently, but the device becomes heavier and more inconvenient to use
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate components: a reusable pressurized spray mechanism (chamber 20 with piston 24 and spring 22) and a disposable flexible liquid reservoir (reservoir 100). This segmentation allows the heavy pressurization system to be separated from the liquid container, making the overall device more manageable while maintaining consistent spray performance through the rigid pressurized chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
A one-way valve (valve 32) is introduced as an intermediary component between the pump arrangement and the pressurized chamber. This valve ensures unidirectional liquid flow, preventing backflow into the pump mechanism while allowing efficient transfer of liquid from the flexible reservoir to the rigid chamber, thus maintaining spray consistency without requiring the entire system to be rigid.
2Weight of moving object
If a flexible bottle is used for liquid storage, then the device is lighter and easier to handle, but the spray pattern becomes irregular and leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the flexible liquid storage function (reservoir 100) from the pressurized spray delivery function (chamber 20). The flexible reservoir provides lightweight, easy handling, while the rigid pressurized chamber ensures consistent spray patterns. The one-way valve connects these two segments, allowing the flexible container to feed liquid to the rigid chamber without compromising either flexibility or spray consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-way valve (valve 32) acts as an intermediary that connects the flexible reservoir to the rigid pressurized chamber. It prevents liquid from flowing back into the pump arrangement while ensuring smooth, controlled transfer of liquid to the chamber, thereby eliminating leakage issues and maintaining spray pattern regularity even with a flexible storage container.
3Ease of operation
If trigger sprayers are mounted on refill packs, then reusable spray equipment is achieved, but the refill packs become more expensive and less environmentally friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the expensive, reusable pressurized spray mechanism (chamber 20 with piston 24, spring 22, and nozzle 40) from the inexpensive, disposable flexible reservoir (reservoir 100). This segmentation allows users to invest in a single durable spray device that can be refilled multiple times with cheap, environmentally friendly flexible reservoirs, reducing overall cost and environmental impact compared to making the entire assembly reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements a system where the valuable pressurized spray mechanism is recovered and reused, while the flexible reservoirs are designed as single-use disposable components. After the reservoir is emptied, it is discarded and replaced with a new one, while the main spray device remains in use. This approach reduces manufacturing costs for refill packs and minimizes environmental impact compared to making entire assemblies reusable.
4Device complexity
If manual pumping is required for each spray action, then spray volume per action is small, but the system can be simple in design
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by using a pump arrangement (piston 24 in cylinder 34) to transfer liquid from the reservoir to the pressurized chamber (chamber 20) before spraying occurs. This pre-pressurization step allows the chamber to be filled with pressurized liquid in advance, enabling high-volume spray discharge through the nozzle without requiring manual pumping during the actual spraying action, thus increasing productivity while maintaining reasonable design simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs pneumatic principles by using a spring-loaded piston mechanism to create and maintain pressure within the chamber. The spring (22) stores mechanical energy that is converted to hydraulic pressure on the liquid, enabling high-volume spray discharge through the nozzle. This pneumatic-hydraulic system allows large spray volumes per action without complex manual pumping during spraying, as the pre-stored pressure automatically drives the liquid flow.
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 dispenser provides comfortable and efficient operation with increased autonomy, maintaining a consistent spray pattern and reducing environmental impact through reusable and environmentally friendly refill packs, while being lightweight and easy to use.
Implementation Method 1
comprising a spring and a piston to place liquid injected into said chamber under pressure
Implementation Method 2
the pump being connected to the chamber through a one-way valve preventing liquid to flow from the chamber back into the pump arrangement
Data Source
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AI summary
The current invention relates to a dispenser for liquid products comprising a removable liquid holding reservoir, an essentially rigid chamber (20,120) for holding liquid under pressure and comprising a spring (22,122) and a piston (24,124) to place liquid injected into said chamber (20,120) under pressure, a pump arrangement 930,130) for pumping liquid from the liquid holding reservoir into the said chamber (20,120) for holding liquid under pressure, the pump (30,130) being connected to the chamber (20,120) through a one-way valve (32,132) preventing liquid to flow from the chamber (20,120) back into the pump arrangement (30,130), the chamber (20,120) being connected to a spray nozzle (40,140) through a valve (42,142) controllable by the user for spraying said liquid.