Keyed Spout Fitment for Consistent Household Liquid Refills
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household liquid dispensers fail to provide consistent operation, easy refill replacement, and cost-effective solutions while preventing the substitution of low-quality skin care and cleansing products.
Innovation Solution
A household liquid dispenser design featuring a housing with a pump, a supply conduit, and a rigid wall with protuberances and channels that securely engage a spout fitment with discontinuous beads, allowing for easy insertion and secure locking of a refill container, ensuring consistent product quality and low manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a keyed spout fitment with discontinuous beads and channels is used, then reliability of dispensing is improved by preventing substitution of low-quality products, but device complexity increases due to the keyed interface structure
Solution Approach 1:
The spout fitment employs an asymmetric keyed interface where discontinuous beads protrude laterally to engage with corresponding channels in the rigid wall. This asymmetric geometry creates a unique fitment orientation that prevents substitution of incompatible refills, ensuring only authorized high-quality products can be dispensed while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism with protuberances and channels is implemented, then reliability of dispensing is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to more complex refill replacement steps
Solution Approach 1:
The keyed locking mechanism is segmented into discrete components: protuberances extending from the rigid wall perimeter and corresponding channels in the spout fitment beads. This segmentation allows the refill to be locked securely through simple alignment and insertion movements, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliable dispensing through the engaged keyed interface.
3Reliability
If structural elements for consistent operation and quality control are incorporated, then reliability of dispensing is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keyed interface structure applies local quality by concentrating the quality control function in specific localized features: the discontinuous beads on the spout fitment neck and the corresponding protuberances in the rigid wall. Rather than requiring complex structural elements throughout the entire dispenser, the quality assurance is achieved through these localized keyed engagement points, minimizing manufacturing cost while ensuring consistent operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A household liquid dispenser has a spout fitment with discontinuous beads or screw threads which define axial channels to interface with a pump inlet in a lock and key arrangement so as to maintain consistent quality of liquids dispensed by preventing the substitution of product refills of uncertain quality. Refills may be readily manufactured and at low cost. Mechanical and motorized dispensers may be used with the inventive spout fitment.