Lotion Application Assembly With Sliding Balls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lotion application devices do not effectively retain and distribute lotion onto the skin after the bottle is removed, leading to inefficiencies in application.
Innovation Solution
A fluid pump with a movably coupled intake tube and sliding balls that immerse in lotion, allowing the balls to retain and deposit lotion on the skin when the tube is rubbed against it, with a fixed ball preventing the sliding balls from falling off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional lotion bottle is used without application mechanism, then the structure is simple, but the lotion cannot be effectively retained and distributed onto the skin after bottle removal
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding balls automatically pick up lotion from the bottle and transfer it to the skin through their own movement along the intake tube, eliminating the need for external pumping or spraying mechanisms. The lotion is applied through the natural rubbing motion of the intake tube on skin, which causes the balls to move and deposit lotion.
Solution Approach 2:
The application device divides the lotion transfer function into multiple independent sliding balls rather than using a single complex mechanism. Each ball independently picks up and deposits lotion, providing redundancy and improving reliability while keeping individual components simple.
2Reliability
If the fluid pump is permanently attached to the lotion bottle, then the connection is stable, but the device cannot be easily cleaned or maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid pump is extracted from the permanent attachment and made removable from the lotion bottle. This allows the pump to be separated for cleaning and maintenance while still providing stable connection during use through the intended removable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the fluid pump and lotion bottle is designed to be dynamically changeable between attached and detached states, allowing the system to switch between stable operation mode and maintenance mode as needed.
3Reliability
If multiple sliding balls are used to distribute lotion, then the lotion distribution is more consistent, but the risk of balls sliding off the intake tube increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed ball acts as an intermediary element that prevents the sliding balls from falling off the intake tube. It serves as a physical barrier or stop that allows the sliding balls to move freely for lotion distribution while constraining their movement to prevent them from detaching.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball retention function is separated from the sliding balls themselves and assigned to a dedicated fixed ball component. This segmentation allows the sliding balls to focus on lotion distribution while the fixed ball handles the retention function, improving overall system reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A lotion application assembly includes a fluid pump having a plunger movably coupled to an intake tube. The fluid pump is removably coupled to a lotion bottle having the intake tube being immersed in lotion contained in the lotion bottle. A plurality of sliding balls is each slidably positioned on the intake tube such that each of the sliding balls is immersed in the lotion when the fluid pump is removably coupled to the lotion bottle. Each of the sliding balls retains an amount of lotion thereon when the fluid pump is removed from the lotion bottle. In this way each of the sliding balls can deposit the lotion onto a user's skin when the intake tube is rubbed on the user's skin. A fixed ball is coupled to the intake tube thereby inhibiting the plurality of sliding balls from sliding off of the intake tube.