Liquid Dispenser Fill-Level Sensing via Housing Distance Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dispensers, particularly for pharmaceutical and cosmetic liquids, lack an effective method to accurately detect the remaining liquid level, especially when the internal volume decreases during dispensing, which can lead to unexpected emptying.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser equipped with a distance sensor arrangement that measures the changing distance between housing sections, utilizing optical or acoustic principles, to determine the remaining liquid level, integrated with evaluation electronics for precise or low-precision display on a connected device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a reservoir piston is used to decrease internal volume during dispensing, then liquid dispensing efficiency is improved, but accurate detection of remaining liquid level becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a detector as an intermediary component that indirectly measures the piston position by detecting physical features (magnet, color-coded zone) carried by the piston. This mediator enables accurate fill level detection without directly measuring the complex changing volume of liquid, resolving the contradiction between efficient piston-based dispensing and accurate remaining liquid detection.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring of liquid level is implemented, then reliability of dispensing is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic activation of the sensor in time intervals rather than continuous monitoring. The sensor is activated at specific moments to detect fill level changes, and the wireless module is activated only when changes are detected for pairing. This periodic action maintains reliable monitoring capability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
3Loss of information
If a detector with wireless capabilities is integrated, then information transmission is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated electronic unit: the processor, sensor, wireless module, power module, and memory are combined into one compact unit. This merging reduces overall system complexity by eliminating separate components and interconnections, while maintaining all necessary information transmission and processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic unit is designed with multi-functionality to reduce overall system complexity. The processor handles both sensor data processing and wireless communication control, the sensor serves both measurement and triggering functions, and the unit can be paired with various external devices. This universal design approach consolidates functionality while managing complexity.
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
Enables accurate detection of the remaining liquid level, preventing unexpected emptying by providing visual or digital alerts, ensuring timely replacement of the dispenser.
Implementation Method 1
The distance sensor arrangement (90) is designed and arranged to detect the distance between two housing sections optically or acoustically
Implementation Method 2
The distance sensor arrangement (90) is designed and arranged to detect the distance between two housing sections optically or acoustically
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~4B
Figure 5
AI summary
A dispenser (10) for dispensing liquids is known, which has a liquid reservoir (40) and a dispensing opening (14) for releasing the liquid. The liquid reservoir is designed such that its internal volume decreases as liquid is dispensed. To detect the fill level of the liquid reservoir, it is proposed that the dispenser (10) has two housing sections (50, 52) whose distance between them changes as the internal volume of the liquid reservoir (40) decreases. The dispenser has a distance sensor arrangement (90) for detecting the distance between these housing sections (50, 52).