Aerosol Hairspray Valve Maintaining Spray Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerosol hairspray products using nitrogen as a propellant face challenges in maintaining consistent spray properties, such as spray rate and particle size distribution, throughout the life of the container, leading to issues like globs of hairspray and reduced product release due to decreasing pressure.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol hairspray product with a pressurizable container and a specialized valve assembly that includes a housing with internal walls defining a valve chamber and a valve stem with distinct inlets for liquid and gas, allowing for a bubble-laden flow to maintain consistent spray properties by adjusting the flow of hairspray composition and propellant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If nitrogen propellant is used instead of hydrocarbon propellant, then safety and environmental friendliness are improved, but spray consistency and pressure maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the propellant by using nitrogen in a supercritical state rather than gaseous state. This allows the nitrogen to exhibit liquid-like density and pressure maintenance properties while retaining the safety advantages of non-flammability and non-toxicity. The supercritical state enables consistent spray performance throughout the container's life cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite propellant system by combining nitrogen with specific hairstyling polymers and conditioning agents in a controlled formulation. This composite approach allows the nitrogen-based system to achieve the functional performance previously provided by hydrocarbon propellants, including consistent pressure and spray characteristics.
2Reliability
If pressure is maintained constant throughout container life, then spray rate and particle size distribution remain consistent, but product formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the parameter change of nitrogen to a supercritical state, which fundamentally alters its physical properties to maintain constant pressure. This single parameter change in the propellant state enables consistent spray rate and particle size distribution without requiring complex formulation adjustments or additional device components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If nitrogen propellant is used, then non-toxic and non-flammable properties are achieved, but pressure drops as product is dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter change by transforming nitrogen into a supercritical state, where it exhibits both gas-like compressibility and liquid-like density. This state transition enables the nitrogen to maintain container pressure throughout dispensing, overcoming the pressure drop issue while preserving the safety advantages of using nitrogen instead of hydrocarbon propellants.
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 ensures consistent spray rate and particle size distribution from full to nearly empty can, providing long-lasting hold and a natural hair appearance without stickiness or dryness.
Implementation Method 1
a compressed gas propellant... which can include, but are not limited to, compressed air, nitrogen, inert gases, and carbon dioxide
Implementation Method 2
the at least one second stem inlet is proximal of the sealed opening in the valve chamber and at least partially distal of the lip so as to be in fluid communication with the valve chamber gas inlet, whereby a bubble laden flow is created in the outlet flow conduit
Data Source
AI summary
An aerosol hairspray product with a spray device and a pressurizable container having a container wall which encloses a reservoir for storing a compressed gas propellant and a hairspray composition. The hairspray composition can be ethanol-based or ethanol-free. The spray properties of the product, including the spray rate and median droplet size, can be maintained throughout the lifetime of the container.