Mechanical Dispenser Power Assembly for Propellant-Free Spraying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aerosol dispensers, both chemically and mechanically operated, face issues such as environmental concerns, complexity, cost, and user convenience, particularly for individuals with disabilities, due to their reliance on chemical propellants, bulky designs, and multi-step operations.
Innovation Solution
A mechanically actuated dispenser with a power assembly that uses energy storage means like springs or gases to provide a single-turn or partial-turn actuation for prolonged product discharge, eliminating the need for charging chambers and allowing operation in any orientation, with a design similar to finger- and trigger-actuated pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional mechanically operated spray dispensers are used, then they can dispense product without chemical propellants, but they are bulky and require multiple steps in operation making them difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a storage chamber and a power chamber that can be connected or disconnected. The power chamber contains the mechanical spray mechanism while the storage chamber holds the product, allowing the mechanism to be compact while holding larger volumes of product.
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-charges the power chamber with product from the storage chamber before use. This preliminary action eliminates the need for multiple pumping steps during operation, allowing the user to simply activate the pre-charged mechanism for immediate spray dispensing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional mechanically operated spray dispensers are used, then they can avoid chemical propellants, but they require a large number of parts and are expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the storage chamber and power chamber into a single integrated system that can be manufactured as one unit or pre-assembled module. This merging reduces the total number of separate parts and simplifies manufacturing processes, lowering production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The power chamber mechanism is designed to be universal and can work with different storage chambers containing various products. This multi-functionality allows a single expensive mechanism to serve multiple product lines, amortizing the manufacturing cost across more units.
3Quantity of substance
If storage chambers are incorporated into mechanically operated aerosol devices, then product can be stored and transferred into a power chamber, but the devices are energy inefficient and degrade over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the product transfer process from the energy-consuming pumping mechanism. Instead of using energy to pump product during operation, the system uses gravity and pressure differential to transfer product from the storage chamber to the power chamber in advance, eliminating continuous energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The product is transferred from the storage chamber to the power chamber in advance before use. This preliminary product transfer eliminates the need for energy-consuming pumping during operation, as the power chamber is pre-filled and ready for immediate spray dispensing.
4Stress or pressure
If bag in a can devices are used, then product can be dispensed under pressure, but the systems are complex and do not have all the attributes of chemical aerosol delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex chemical propellant system with a simpler mechanical spring-loaded piston mechanism. The spring provides the necessary pressure to dispense product from the power chamber, eliminating the need for chemical propellants while maintaining comparable spray performance with reduced system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a flexible bag expanding to push product out (as in bag-in-can systems), this invention uses a rigid piston pushed by a spring to force product out. This inversion of the pressure generation mechanism simplifies the system by eliminating the flexible bag and its associated sealing and deployment complexities.
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
The dispenser offers a convenient, cost-effective, and compact solution for product dispensing, providing longer duration sprays with reduced steps and energy efficiency, comparable to chemically energized systems, while minimizing environmental impact and user effort.
Implementation Method 1
The power assembly can be used with various energy storage means such as springs, gases or elastics to exert pressure on product to be dispensed when the actuator is turned.
Implementation Method 2
A piston is provided that reciprocates in a pump chamber to draw product from the container and pressurize it for dispensing.
Implementation Method 3
A valve is provided that opens and closes to control the discharge of pressurized product from the pump chamber.
Implementation Method 4
A drive means is provided that converts rotation of the actuator to reciprocating motion of the piston.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for dispensing a product from an interior volume of a container (C) to which a power assembly (11) is secured is disclosed herein. The method comprising rotating an actuator sleeve (90) of the power assembly in one direction 360° or less relative to the container to draw an amount of the product from the interior volume into a pump chamber and to pressurize the pump chamber; temporarily depressing an actuator (130) of the power assembly to dispense a portion of the product from the pump chamber through a nozzle for a duration of time during which the actuator is temporarily depressed; re-depressing and re-releasing pressure on the actuator sequentially one or more times until all of the product drawn in the pump chamber is dispensed; wherein the actuator sleeve of the power assembly does not rotate relative to the container during discharge.