Dispenser With Conical Membrane and Thin Weld Seam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers with rupturable membranes face limitations in control over rupture and manufacturing complexity due to score lines and separately attached membranes, restricting the types of flowable substances that can be contained and dispensed.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser with a conically-shaped membrane that is integral to the outer wall, featuring a weld seam with a thickness less than the membrane thickness, allowing for enhanced control over rupture and simplified manufacturing through injection molding, enabling easier rupture with less force and precise control over material dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If score lines are used to make the membrane rupturable, then the membrane can be ruptured by hydraulic pressure, but the control over the manner of rupture is reduced and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weld seam is pre-formed during the injection molding process with a controlled thickness less than the membrane thickness. This preliminary structuring creates a predetermined rupture path that will fail first under hydraulic pressure, providing reliable rupture control without requiring post-manufacturing modifications or separate membrane attachments.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is integrated directly into the container wall structure through co-molding, eliminating the need for separate membrane components and their associated attachment processes. The weld seam is formed as an integral part of the injection molding process, combining the membrane formation and rupture feature creation into a single manufacturing step, thereby reducing device complexity.
2Reliability
If a separately attached membrane is used, then the membrane can be selectively affixed to the dispenser wall, but the manufacturing process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane and container wall are formed as a single integrated component through the injection molding process. The membrane material is co-molded with the container wall material, creating an integral structure that eliminates separate attachment steps, reduces manufacturing complexity, and lowers production costs while maintaining reliable membrane positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process simultaneously performs multiple functions: forming the container wall, creating the membrane structure, and generating the weld seam with controlled thickness. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate manufacturing operations into a single process, improving ease of manufacture.
3Device complexity
If a flat or planar membrane with a weld seam is used, then the membrane structure is simplified, but the structural configuration limitations restrict the type of flowable substances that can be contained and dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is formed with a curved or domed configuration rather than a flat planar structure. This curvature provides better structural integrity and pressure distribution, allowing the membrane to contain and dispense a wider variety of flowable substances including those with different viscosities and pressures, thereby increasing versatility while maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser (10) for dispensing flowable materials has a container (12) having an outer wall (16) and a membrane (34) collectively defining a first chamber (18) configured to contain a flowable material. The membrane (34) extends from the outer wall (16) at an angle. The membrane (34) has a thickness and a weld seam (40), and the weld seam (40) has a thickness less than the thickness of the membrane (34).