Dispenser Pump Vent-Blocking Mechanism for Shipping Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pump dispensers face issues with leakage during shipping and transit due to venting mechanisms that leave the product susceptible to drainage through vent holes, causing mess and inefficiency, and existing solutions often require additional components like valve sleeves to mitigate this.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a vent-blocking mechanism where the body insert of the pump is rotatable relative to the outer body, blocking or unblocking the vent path by engaging or disengaging with the outer body, using locking formations and limit stop abutments to control the vent's openness, allowing for secure shipping and efficient operation without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vent path is left open for normal operation, then air can enter the container to compensate for dispensed product volume, but product leakage occurs during shipping and transit
Solution Approach 1:
The pump body is designed to rotate between a first position (shipping position) where the vent path is blocked and a second position (dispensing position) where the vent path is open. This dynamic repositioning allows the same structure to serve both leakage prevention during shipping and venting during normal operation, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation parameter of the pump body is changed between two states: vertically oriented during shipping to block the vent path, and horizontally oriented during dispensing to open the vent path. This parameter change enables the system to adapt to different operational requirements without additional components
2Loss of substance
If additional components like valve sleeves are added to prevent leakage, then product loss is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vent-blocking function is merged with the pump body structure itself by utilizing the pump body's orientation rather than adding separate valve sleeves or blocking components. The single pump body structure performs both dispensing and vent-blocking functions, reducing device complexity while preventing product loss
Solution Approach 2:
The pump body is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the dispensing mechanism and the vent-blocking element. By making the pump body multi-functional, the invention eliminates the need for additional components, thereby reducing device complexity while effectively preventing product loss
3Volume of moving object
If the plunger is locked in down position for compact shipping, then dispenser size is reduced, but access to operating mechanisms becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pump body rotation mechanism dynamically changes the accessibility of the plunger. In the shipping position, the plunger is compact and protected. During dispensing, rotating the pump body to horizontal position brings the plunger into easy access, resolving the contradiction between compactness and ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser pump has a plunger operable in a body including an outer cylinder body having a vent opening in its sidewall and a body insert fitting into the top of the outer body and providing an external collar through which the plunger stem operates. The body insert has lock-down threads to lock down the plunger for shipping. The insert also has formations for blocking or unblocking the vent opening by rotation between the outer body and body insert, driven by rotation of the plunger head which makes a catch engagement with the top of the body insert. This plunger head rotation is the locking or unlocking action for the plunger lock-down. Blocking the vent during shipping reduces leakage.