Fluid Dispensing Brush With Pump And Airtight Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hair brushes for dispensing hair care products, such as gel, are inefficient in delivering a precise amount, difficult to clean, and prone to product drying within the bristles, leading to reduced effectiveness over time.
Innovation Solution
A brush design featuring a fluid reservoir, pump assembly, and piping array connected to ejection valves, with an actuator lever that creates a pumping action to dispense fluid through airtight ejection valves, preventing product exposure to air and facilitating easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tubular bristles are used to dispense hair product, then the brush can apply gel and other hair products to hair, but the brush becomes difficult to clean and product dries inside the bristles over time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the dispensing function from the bristles themselves and relocates it to a separate pump mechanism. The bristles become solid non-hollow structures that do not retain product, while the pump system handles all fluid dispensing. This separation allows bristles to be easily cleaned without product residue trapped inside hollow channels.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making bristles hollow to enable dispensing (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by making bristles solid and using an external pump system for dispensing. This reversal eliminates the cleaning problem associated with hollow bristles while maintaining dispensing functionality through the pump mechanism.
2Productivity
If hollow bristles are used for product distribution, then gel can flow through the bristles to the hair, but the scalp blocks the end of the bristles preventing efficient distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a pad as an intermediary component between the pump and the bristles. The pad receives dispensed product and distributes it across the brush surface, allowing product to be applied to hair without requiring direct flow through hollow bristle channels that would be blocked by the scalp.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing system is segmented into separate functional components: the pump for product ejection, the pad for distribution, and the bristles for application. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interference from scalp blockage of bristle channels.
3Ease of operation
If compression mechanisms are used to force product through bristles, then gel can be dispensed from the reservoir, but it is difficult to regulate the amount of material being ejected
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism is designed to be manually operable, allowing the user to dynamically control the dispensing action by squeezing the pump body. This dynamic control enables the user to regulate the amount of product ejected by adjusting the pressure and duration of the squeezing action, providing precise control over product quantity.
4Reliability
If the brush allows product exposure to air during storage, then the brush is easy to access and use, but the product dries out and degrades over time
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism creates an airtight seal around the product reservoir, maintaining an inert (air-free) environment for the stored product. This prevents oxidation and drying of the gel while in storage, preserving product freshness and effectiveness without requiring complex additional protective structures.
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
Enables precise, efficient dispensing of hair products without drying, ensuring consistent performance and easy maintenance by maintaining the fluid in an airtight system until application.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator lever is provided and adapted to be operated by a user. The actuator lever is adapted to move between a first position and a second position, creating a pumping action to dispense fluid through the ejection valves
Implementation Method 2
dispense fluid through airtight ejection valves, preventing product exposure to air
Data Source
AI summary
A brush comprising a housing having an opening at which there is a pad and bristles. The housing defines an interior space and a handle. In the interior space, there is located a fluid reservoir, a pump assembly having a pump cylinder tube and plunger, and a piping array which are airtight and fluidly connected to one another. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of silicone, duckbill ejection valves are provided at the ends of the piping array and are positioned on the pad among the bristles. To enable movement of fluid from the reservoir to and out of the ejection valves, an actuator lever is provided and adapted to be operated by a user. The actuator lever is adapted to move between a first position and a second position, creating a pumping action to dispense fluid through the ejection valves.