Injector Stopper Rib Geometry Reforming for Seal Integrity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injector devices face challenges in forming a durable seal without silicone or other liquid lubricants, particularly due to defects like wrinkles and scratches in the barrier material during manufacturing or insertion.
Innovation Solution
The method involves reforming the rib geometry of the stopper by adding cuts or grooves in the barrier layer after its formation, allowing for a more effective seal and reduced risk of tears. This process can create a flatter interface with the barrel and enhance the wiper effect, improving both sealing and slidability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a barrier layer is used to form a seal in the stopper, then air and liquid impermeability is improved, but sealing reliability deteriorates due to wrinkles and scratches in the barrier material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the barrier material by applying a cross-linking treatment that modifies its molecular structure. This cross-linking process increases the material's resistance to deformation and reduces the formation of wrinkles and scratches, thereby maintaining sealing reliability while preserving air and liquid impermeability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the barrier material with a cross-linked network system. This composite approach integrates the impermeability properties of the barrier layer with the enhanced mechanical stability of the cross-linked structure, resulting in a stopper that resists both leakage and surface defects.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the barrier layer is made stiffer to maintain shape, then structural stability is improved, but the ability to form a flat sealing interface deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-linking treatment modifies the viscoelastic parameters of the barrier material, creating a material that exhibits both stiffness for structural stability and controlled compliance for conforming to the sealing surface. The cross-linked network allows the material to maintain its shape while adapting to the barrel interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic properties to the barrier layer through cross-linking, allowing it to exhibit time-dependent mechanical behavior. The material can deform under compression to achieve a flat sealing interface, then maintain that shape through the cross-linked structure's memory and recovery properties.
3Reliability
If silicone or liquid lubricant is used to fill defects in the barrier, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and potential contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for separate lubricant application steps by integrating the defect-filling function directly into the barrier material itself. The cross-linked barrier material inherently fills and seals defects without requiring additional silicone or liquid lubricant components, simplifying the overall device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-linked barrier material provides self-service by automatically filling and sealing its own defects through the cross-linking process. The material's modified structure enables it to self-heal minor imperfections and maintain sealing integrity without external intervention or additional lubricating substances.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of reforming rib geometry of a stopper having a seal surface configured for engagement with an interior bore of a barrel of an injector device after formation of the rib include reforming a first edge of the rib.