Gravity-Actuated Closure Element for Fluid Dispensing Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid dispensing valves face challenges in ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation, particularly when storing in an upright position, where the metering chamber empties and the product returns to the reservoir, leading to potential inhomogeneity and the need for priming upon inversion.
Innovation Solution
A closure element movable by gravity between open and closed positions is integrated within the valve, allowing controlled flow back to the reservoir when inverted, ensuring consistent dosing without priming and maintaining product homogeneity during storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the valve is stored in the upright position with the metering chamber above the reservoir, then the device is compact and easy to store, but the product becomes inhomogeneous and requires priming before use
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet passage is segmented into multiple openings distributed around the valve body, allowing product to return to the reservoir from multiple locations simultaneously. This segmentation ensures homogeneous mixing of the product during storage while maintaining the compact upright configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve is designed to automatically return product to the reservoir during storage without requiring user intervention. This preliminary action prevents product inhomogeneity from developing, eliminating the need for priming before use and ensuring dosing consistency is maintained.
2Reliability
If the metering chamber is kept filled during storage, then dosing consistency is maintained, but the device becomes more complex and requires additional sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing requirement by allowing the metering chamber to empty during storage. The closure element is positioned to allow product return without requiring complex sealing, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining dosing consistency through automatic refilling upon inversion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to maintain product in the metering chamber during storage, the invention inverts the approach by allowing the chamber to empty and relying on gravity to return product to the reservoir. This inversion eliminates complex sealing requirements while ensuring product homogeneity.
3Reliability
If a closure element is added to control product flow, then product homogeneity is maintained, but the manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The closure element is designed to function automatically based on the valve's orientation. When the valve is inverted for use, the closure element opens to allow product flow without requiring active control mechanisms. This self-service approach maintains product homogeneity while minimizing manufacturing cost and assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure element is positioned and dimensioned to allow product to flow back to the reservoir under gravity when the valve is in the storage position, while preventing flow when inverted for use. This equipotential design uses gravity as the driving force, eliminating the need for additional actuators or complex control systems.
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 provides a safer, more reliable, and cost-effective fluid dispensing valve that ensures consistent dosing and maintains product homogeneity by allowing controlled return to the reservoir, eliminating the need for priming and ensuring complete doses with each actuation.
Implementation Method 1
A closure element movable by gravity between an open position in which the inlet passage is open and a closed position in which the inlet passage is at least partially closed
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid product dispensing valve which is intended to be mounted to a fluid product container, comprising a valve body (10) containing a metering chamber (20) and a valve (30) which slides in a leak-tight manner inside the valve body (10) between a rest position and an actuation position. In addition, the valve contains an inlet channel (40) which is used to fill the metering chamber (20) with the fluid product. The valve also comprises a closure element (50) which co-operates with the inlet channel (40) and which can move between an open position in which the inlet channel (40) is open and a closed position in which the inlet channel (40) is at least partially closed.