Dispenser Motor and Valve Alignment to Eliminate Side Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional milkshake dispensers experience increased wear and decreased serviceable life due to side loads on solenoid actuators caused by offset mounting, leading to undesirable moments in the system.
Innovation Solution
A motor-driven system with a threaded shaft and flywheel, where the flywheel is axially translated to open and close a valve assembly, eliminating offset loading and allowing a single motor to control both the spinner and valve, ensuring axial alignment and reduced wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a solenoid actuator is used to control the draw valve, then the valve can be actuated to control flow, but the offset mounting creates side loads that increase wear and decrease serviceable life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the spinner motor and valve actuator into a single integrated motor unit. The motor shaft directly drives both the spinner assembly and the draw valve mechanism, eliminating the need for separate solenoid actuators and their associated offset mounting issues. This merging of functions resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining valve actuation capability while eliminating side loads that cause wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a motor-driven shaft system as an intermediary mechanism between the power source and the valve. Instead of using a solenoid actuator that must be mounted offset, the motor shaft with attached drive elements (such as cam mechanisms or direct coupling) provides a means to actuate the valve in axial alignment, thereby eliminating the harmful side loads while maintaining actuation functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the solenoid actuator is mounted in offset fashion relative to the draw valve axis, then valve control is achieved, but a moment is created that causes side load on the solenoid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the actuation function into the motor-driven system that is already in axial alignment with the draw valve. The motor shaft extends along the valve axis and directly actuates the valve through mechanical coupling, eliminating the need for offset mounting and the resulting moment creation. This resolves the contradiction by achieving valve control without generating side loads.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the actuator offset from the valve axis (conventional approach), the patent inverts the arrangement by placing the drive mechanism in axial alignment with the valve. The motor shaft and valve stem are collinear, and actuation forces are applied along the axis rather than perpendicular to it, thereby eliminating the moment arm that creates side loads.
3Device complexity
If a single motor drives both the spinner and valve assembly, then device complexity is reduced, but the motor must be precisely aligned to avoid side loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the spinner drive and valve actuation into a single motor assembly where both functions are driven from the same motor shaft. The motor is positioned such that its shaft extends along the longitudinal axis of the draw valve, and mechanical elements (such as cam-follower mechanisms or direct couplings) transfer motion from the rotating shaft to both the spinner and the valve stem. This integration reduces device complexity while the axial alignment inherently minimizes the need for high-precision manufacturing tolerances compared to offset mounting arrangements.
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 extends the serviceable life of the dispenser by eliminating offset loads, reducing wear, and enabling efficient operation of both the spinner and valve with a single motor, improving the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the dispenser.
Implementation Method 1
the inertia of the flywheel causing the flywheel to accelerate more slowly than the shaft and thus causing the flywheel to axially translate along the threaded shaft
Implementation Method 2
a threaded shaft attached to the shaft, a flywheel rotatably attached to the threaded shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser (20) for consumable products uses a single motor (40) to both drive a spinner (75) to mix the product and move a valve assembly (42) to open and close the dispenser (20). The valve assembly (42), which is axially aligned with the motor shaft (44) may be opened and closed by fixing an externally threaded shaft (46) on a drive shaft (44) extending from the motor (40) and then rotatably mounting an internally threaded flywheel (50) on the threaded shaft (46). A valve stem (64) may then be fixedly attached to the flywheel (50). When the motor (40) energizes, the flywheel (50) and valve stem (64) axially translate along the nut (46) to open the valve assembly (42). When the motor (40) de-energizes, the flywheel (50) and valve stem (64) axially translate along the nut (46) in an opposite direction to close the valve assembly (42).