Elastomer Bag-on-Valve Assembly with Impact-Absorbing Hose
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage containers with inner bags or bladders face points of failure due to attachment methods that are prone to damage during drops or forces, leading to potential leaks and material loss.
Innovation Solution
A storage container design featuring a body with a material valve assembly and a flexible elastomer bag that can stretch to absorb impact forces, coupled via a hose or directly to the valve, allowing for fluid communication and using a compressed gas as a propellant for material dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional attachment methods are used to connect the inner bag to the storage container and valve, then the device structure is simple, but the reliability deteriorates due to points of failure during drops or forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating a hose with sufficient length and flexibility between the bag and valve assembly to anticipate and absorb impact forces before they can cause damage to attachment points. The hose acts as a pre-positioned shock absorber that prevents the bag from contacting the container bottom during drops, thereby protecting the attachment connections from failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the hose as an intermediary element between the bag and the valve assembly, replacing direct rigid connections with a flexible mediating component. This hose intermediary absorbs mechanical stresses and impacts, preventing force transmission that would otherwise create failure points at attachment locations while maintaining the functional connection between bag and valve.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the bag is made rigid to maintain shape, then the shape stability is improved, but the ability to absorb impact forces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible shells and thin films by constructing the bag from elastomeric materials that inherently possess both shape stability and impact absorption capabilities. The elastomer forms a flexible yet stable structure that can deform to absorb impacts while maintaining its overall form and integrity, resolving the contradiction between rigid shape stability and impact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the elastomeric material's ability to change its physical parameters (flexibility, elasticity) in response to applied forces. The material maintains its shape under normal conditions but dynamically changes its mechanical properties during impact events, allowing it to absorb forces while preserving shape stability during operation.
3Strength
If the hose is made long and flexible to absorb impacts, then the impact absorption capability is improved, but the risk of hose damage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by constructing the hose from multiple layers or combinations of materials that provide both flexibility for impact absorption and durability for damage resistance. The composite structure allows the hose to be long and flexible enough to absorb impacts while the enhanced material composition prevents damage from excessive movement or stress concentration.
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 design enhances durability and prevents material loss by absorbing impact forces, ensuring reliable fluid communication and efficient dispensing of materials like liquids, gases, and granulated solids, even under adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The bag is constructed of an elastomer... allowing the bag to stretch and absorb impact forces
Implementation Method 2
using a compressed gas as a propellant for material dispensing
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a storage container that includes a body that defines an interior of the storage container, and a bag contained within the interior of the storage container. The bag is constructed of an elastomer, includes an opening, and defines a bag interior configured to contain a material. The storage container further includes a material valve assembly coupled to a portion of the body. The material valve assembly is coupled to the bag and configured to selectively provide fluid communication between the bag interior and an external environment of the storage container.