Lever-Plunger Dispensing Mechanism for Precise Portion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluent material dispensing systems suffer from disadvantages such as wear and deformation of components due to excessive force application, leading to inconsistent portion control during fluid expulsion.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing mechanism with a lever that includes a tooth or protrusion to limit the travel distance, engaging with a portion stop to control the expelled amount of fluent material, and features like a metal bearing pin for robustness and ease of cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the lever is designed without a tooth or protrusion to limit travel distance, then the structure is simpler, but the portion control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is segmented into functional zones: a tooth or protrusion element that limits travel distance, a pivot point for rotation, and a handle for actuation. This segmentation allows the lever to provide precise portion control through the tooth-portion stop interaction while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Quantity of substance
If the lever travels a longer distance to expel more material, then the expelled amount increases, but the wear and deformation on components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth on the lever performs a preliminary action by engaging with the portion stop at a predetermined location along the lever's path of travel. This preliminary engagement limits the maximum travel distance of the lever and plunger, preventing excessive force application and component wear while still allowing sufficient material expulsion.
Solution Approach 2:
The portion stop acts as a cushioning element that absorbs and distributes the load when the tooth engages with it. This beforehand cushioning prevents concentrated stress on single points, reducing wear and deformation on both the lever and cap components during repeated actuation.
3Device complexity
If the tooth is designed with a small contact area, then the lever structure is simpler, but the load concentration causes damage and wear to the cap
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth is designed with non-uniform geometry, featuring a broader contact surface at the engagement point with the portion stop compared to other areas. This local quality change distributes the load over a larger area during actuation, reducing stress concentration and preventing damage to the cap while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the lever and cap are designed as separate components requiring disassembly, then the manufacturing flexibility is higher, but the cleaning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is pivotally coupled to the cap in such a way that they form an integrated assembly that can be cleaned together as a single unit. The design allows cleaning solutions to access all surfaces including the pivot point and tooth engagement area, eliminating the need for disassembly while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the pivotal connection.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a dispensing mechanism for a bottle or cartridge. The mechanism includes a lever actuation of which causes a plunger to slidably engage an inner sidewall of the bottle and travel in a first direction towards an outlet of the bottle to expulse fluent material therefrom. The mechanism includes a portion stop connected to a cap and positioned at a defined location along the path of travel of the lever. The distance traveled by the lever is limited by direct contact of a tooth of the lever with the portion stop, thereby limiting the distance traveled by the plunger to limit an expelled amount of the fluent material to a corresponding defined portion. The tooth, when actuated, subjects the portion stop to a load. The tooth is shaped to promote spreading out of the load so as to inhibit damage/wear to and/or deformation of the cap.