Compressible Air-Chamber Foam Pump for Residual Drip Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inverted foam dispensers often experience residual foam turning into liquid and dripping from the outlet nozzle, creating a mess, as existing designs fail to effectively manage the residual liquid and foam after dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A foam pump with a compressible air inlet chamber and a piston that includes a liquid seal member and an air seal member, allowing compressed air to mix with liquid and draw residual foam and liquid back into the chamber, preventing dripping by utilizing a one-way air inlet valve and openings for air passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing inverted foam dispenser designs are used, then the dispenser structure is simple, but residual foam turns into liquid and drips out of the outlet nozzle creating a mess
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into distinct functional chambers: a liquid pump chamber for liquid delivery, a compressible air inlet chamber for air intake and residual foam containment, and a mixing chamber. This segmentation allows each chamber to perform its specific function independently, with the air inlet chamber acting as a reservoir to capture and contain residual liquid foam, preventing it from dripping out of the outlet nozzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressible air inlet chamber serves as an intermediary between the liquid pump chamber and the external environment. It acts as a buffer zone that receives compressed air, mixes it with residual liquid foam, and contains the mixture to prevent dripping, thereby mediating the transition from liquid foam delivery to residual foam containment.
2Reliability
If a compressible air inlet chamber is added to manage residual foam, then dripping is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compressible air inlet chamber performs multiple functions: it serves as an air intake chamber for compressed air delivery, a mixing chamber for combining air with liquid foam, and a reservoir for containing residual liquid foam to prevent dripping. By making this single chamber multi-functional, the design avoids adding separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable drip prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The air inlet chamber and residual foam containment function are merged into a single compressible chamber. This chamber simultaneously receives compressed air, mixes it with liquid foam, and contains the resulting mixture to prevent dripping, combining what could have been separate functions into one integrated component.
3Reliability
If the compressible air inlet chamber volume is increased to draw back more residual foam, then more residual liquid is contained, but the available space for storing liquid in the dispenser is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air inlet chamber is designed to be compressible rather than rigid, allowing its volume to dynamically adjust during operation. The chamber expands to draw back residual foam and contracts during liquid dispensing, optimizing its volume for residual foam containment when needed while minimizing its impact on liquid storage space when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The volume parameter of the air inlet chamber is changed dynamically through compression and expansion. The chamber volume is increased when needed to draw back and contain residual foam, and decreased during normal liquid dispensing operations, allowing the system to adapt its internal volume allocation based on operational requirements.
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 effectively prevents residual foam and liquid from dripping by using the compressible air inlet chamber to draw back residual contents after dispensing, maintaining cleanliness and functionality of the dispenser system.
Implementation Method 1
When the volume of the liquid pump chamber is increased, the volume of the compressible air inlet chamber increases and draws residual foam and/or liquid up toward the compressible air inlet chamber
Implementation Method 2
A one-way air inlet valve is located proximate the compressed air inlet
Implementation Method 3
The piston has a liquid seal member for providing a movable seal against a wall of the liquid pump chamber and an air seal member for providing a movable seal against a wall of the compressible air inlet chamber
Implementation Method 4
compressed air flows in through the compressed air inlet, through the compressible air inlet chamber and into the mixing chamber to mix with liquid flowing out of the liquid pump chamber
Implementation Method 5
The mixture of liquid and compressed air flow through the one or more mixing elements and is dispensed as a foam
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary dispensers, pumps and refill units are disclosed herein. An exemplary refill unit includes a container and a foam pump. The foam pump includes a liquid pump chamber, a compressible air inlet chamber and a compressed air inlet. The volume of the compressible air inlet chamber is less than the volume of air used to make a dose of foam. A one-way air inlet valve is located proximate the compressed air inlet. A piston is included that is movable within the liquid pump chamber and has a liquid seal member and an air seal member. The liquid pump chamber includes a liquid outlet into a center portion of the piston. One or more openings extend through the piston wall and provide a passage from the compressible air chamber to the center portion of the piston. The pump further includes mix media and an outlet.