Liquid Dispensing Device Locking Mechanism for Double-Dose Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dispensing devices often fail to prevent double-dosing and do not facilitate easy priming when the chemical container is empty or partially empty, leading to inaccuracies in dispensing metered doses of chemicals, especially in critical dilution ratios.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing device with a locking mechanism that prevents the operating button from being depressed until the piston is fully primed, combined with a dosing ring that allows for adjustable volume dispensing and an indicator to show when the device is ready for use, ensuring accurate and safe dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the operating button is allowed to be pressed at any time, then the device is easy to operate, but the user may dispense double-dose or unknown volume of liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The locking means engages with the main housing to preemptively prevent the operating button from being pressed until the piston completes its priming stroke. This preliminary restriction eliminates the possibility of double-dosing before it can occur, while still allowing full operational freedom once priming is complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking means acts as an intermediary mechanism between the operating button and the main housing. It mediates the interaction by selectively engaging or disengaging based on piston position, thereby controlling when the button can be pressed without requiring complex user judgment or additional controls.
2Reliability
If the locking means prevents button movement until primed, then double-dosing is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking means is merged with the existing piston-cylinder assembly and operating button structure. The locking arms utilize the same space and mechanical connections as the priming mechanism, so the prevention function is added without requiring separate dedicated components or additional operational steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking means is self-regulating through resilient biasing that automatically engages or disengages based on piston position. The system serves itself by using the priming stroke motion to control the locking state, eliminating the need for external control mechanisms or complex user intervention to enable/disable the locking function.
3Manufacturing precision
If the system requires complete priming before dispensing, then dosing accuracy is improved, but the time to prepare the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical priming process is optimized by allowing the piston to complete its full stroke automatically through resilient biasing. This replaces the need for manual priming operations or complex priming sequences, reducing user time investment while ensuring complete priming for accuracy.
4Productivity
If the operating button has full travel freedom, then the user can quickly prime the system, but the user cannot know when the piston is in the correct position
Solution Approach 1:
The indicator provides visual information about piston position and priming status, allowing users to quickly determine when the device is ready for dispensing without requiring complex movements or judgment. The color or position change signals the locked/dislocked state, eliminating uncertainty.
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
Prevents double-dosing by ensuring the piston is fully primed before dispensing and allows for easy priming of empty containers, providing accurate and efficient metering of chemical doses.
Implementation Method 1
resilient means for biasing the piston in the liquid priming direction
Implementation Method 2
resilient means for biasing the operating button in the liquid priming direction independently of said piston
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a liquid dispensing device. The device has a main housing, and comprises: a liquid delivery pump, comprising: an inlet; an outlet; a piston, disposed in a cylinder, the piston being movable in a liquid delivery direction between a first position and a second position, and in a liquid priming direction between the second position and the first position; and resilient means for biasing the piston in the liquid priming direction; an operating button, movable between a first position and a second position, and configured to act on the piston to move the piston in the liquid delivery direction; and resilient means for biasing the operating button in the liquid priming direction independently of said piston. In one embodiment, the operating button comprises locking means, configured to engage with the main housing to substantially prevent movement of said operating button in the liquid delivery direction until the operating button and the piston are in their respective first positions. In a further embodiment, the device further comprises a dosing ring configured to limit movement of said operating button in the liquid delivery direction, the dosing ring being adjustably mounted on a support member to enable the volume of liquid dispensed to be adjusted.