Dispensing Valve Sealing With Venting for Clean Pressure Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for producing and dispensing foamy foods face challenges in achieving consistent handling and easy cleaning of the removal and metering valve, particularly under varying pressure conditions, with the seal being permanently installed and difficult to clean.

Innovation Solution

A removable and metering valve design featuring a linearly movable piston with a sealing element, allowing for easy cleaning and controlled dispensing, with a venting position to prevent uncontrolled medium escape and ensure tightness, and adjustable flow rates through conical or conical-convex inner surfaces for precise control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sealing element is permanently installed in the head, then the valve maintains tightness and reliability, but the valve becomes difficult to clean and requires considerable practice for consistent handling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve tightnessVSAvoidcleaning ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The valve assembly is divided into separable components: the dispensing piston can be removed from the head, and the sealing element is designed as a separate component that can be detached with the piston. This segmentation allows the sealing element to maintain reliability when installed while enabling easy removal for cleaning, resolving the contradiction between permanent installation for tightness and removability for cleaning ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the dispensing piston is made linearly movable with a sealing element, then easy cleaning is achieved, but uncontrolled escape of medium may occur during separation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning easeVSAvoiduncontrolled medium escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A venting position is provided in the valve mechanism that allows pressure to be equalized before complete separation of the dispensing piston from the head. This preliminary venting action prevents uncontrolled medium escape by releasing pressure gradually, while still maintaining the linear movability of the piston for easy cleaning access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If a first sealing element is arranged adjacent to the dispensing piston end region, then optimal metering and valve tightness are ensured, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemetering precisionVSAvoidvalve structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing element is integrated into the dispensing piston assembly rather than being a separate complex component. The sealing element is positioned to seal against the passage opening in conjunction with the piston's linear movement, combining the sealing function with the metering mechanism. This merging achieves optimal metering precision while minimizing additional structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Ensures optimal metering and extended shelf life of the spray medium by allowing for easy cleaning and precise control of the dispensing process, preventing sudden medium release and maintaining valve tightness even when not in use.

Implementation Method 1

a first sealing element, which is preferably in the form of an O-ring, is arranged adjacent to the dispensing piston end region on the actuation region side, which seals the passage opening when the dispensing and dosing valve is closed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Implementation Method 2

adjustable flow rates through conical or conical-convex inner surfaces for precise control

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGeometric flow control: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP4345027A1Metering and dispensing valve for a device for dispensing spray media
Publication Date: 2024.04.03 ISI GMBH
  • EP4345027A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4345027A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4345027A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a dispensing and metering valve (1) for a device (66) for dispensing spray media (76), comprising a dispensing piston (2) with a longitudinal axis (80), which has a dispensing piston actuation area (3) and an axially opposite dispensing piston end area (4), and a dispensing opening (14, 81) which has a through-opening (15) in which the dispensing piston (2) is arranged to be linearly movable, wherein the dispensing and metering valve (1) has a closed state that corresponds to a defined position of the dispensing piston (2). According to the invention, a first sealing element (6) is arranged adjacent to the dispensing piston end area (4) on the actuation side, which closes the through-opening (15) when the dispensing and metering valve (1) is closed.