Metered Liquid Dispensing Valve with Spherical Discharge Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol dispensing technologies face challenges in delivering metered volumes of liquid without using volatile propellants, which pose environmental and safety risks, and often require high gas-to-liquid ratios or resilient materials that are prone to performance variations and manufacturing issues.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing apparatus with a discharge assembly featuring a spherical liquid discharge element moveable within a metering chamber by fluid pressure, utilizing a returning force to ensure consistent and uniform dispensing of metered volumes, eliminating the need for gas bleeds and minimizing material flexibility-related issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If dissolved gas propellant (e.g., butane) is used to propel liquid from aerosol container, then liquid can be delivered from container, but volatile propellant release creates environmental harm, fire safety risk, and cost issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful dissolved gas propellant from the system and replaces it with an inert compressed gas propellant. The metering valve design allows liquid to be metered and ejected using compressed gas pressure without requiring dissolved volatile propellants, thereby eliminating the harmful release of butane and similar substances into the atmosphere.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and properties of the propellant from dissolved volatile gas to compressed inert gas. This parameter change transforms the propellant system to one that does not rely on flash vaporization, thereby eliminating environmental and safety hazards associated with volatile propellant release while maintaining the ability to deliver metered liquid doses.
2Quantity of substance
If compressed gas is bled into metering chamber to drive liquid out, then liquid ejection is achieved, but gas pressure within container is depleted requiring high gas to liquid ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic gas bleeding mechanism from the system. Instead of bleeding compressed gas into the metering chamber, the design uses a valve stem with passage means that allows liquid to be directly ejected from the metering chamber through the valve stem when actuated, eliminating the need to deplete container gas pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering valve is designed to self-eject the metered liquid dose without requiring external gas bleeding. The passage means within the valve stem and the sealing means work together to automatically discharge the metered liquid when the valve stem is actuated, eliminating the need for continuous gas pressure depletion to drive liquid ejection.
3Quantity of substance
If elastomeric membrane or resilient bellows is used in metering chamber to drive liquid out, then liquid discharge is achieved, but performance variations occur due to material variations and deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the resilient materials (elastomeric membranes and bellows) from the metering chamber design. The new design uses a rigid metering chamber with a valve stem mechanism that does not rely on resilient wall materials to drive liquid discharge, thereby eliminating performance variations caused by material deterioration and manufacturing inconsistencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical action of resilient wall collapse with a valve stem actuation mechanism. The passage means within the valve stem and sealing means provide a more reliable and consistent method for ejecting metered liquid doses without depending on the elastic properties of deteriorating materials.
4Quantity of substance
If resilient wall materials are used in metering chamber, then liquid ejection is achieved, but manufacturing yield is reduced due to material variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the resilient wall materials from the metering chamber construction. The design uses a rigid chamber with a valve stem mechanism that is easier to manufacture with consistent tolerances, improving manufacturing yield by eliminating the need to source and assemble variable resilient materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs homogeneous rigid materials for the metering chamber and valve stem components, which are easier to manufacture with consistent properties compared to resilient materials. This homogeneity in material properties leads to better manufacturing yield and more predictable performance across production batches.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, high-yield manufacturing process with consistent aerosol spray performance over the product's lifetime, maintaining quality without depleting gas pressure and resisting material deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
a spherical liquid discharge element moveable by fluid pressure from the container from its liquid primed position to its liquid discharged position to effect discharge of said metered volume of liquid
Implementation Method 2
moveable by a returning force from its liquid discharged position to its liquid primed position
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
There is provided a discharge assembly for discharging a metered volume of a liquid held in a pressured container, said assembly comprising (v) an elongate tubular housing having a liquid inlet at a first end thereof, (vi) a valve stem having a body locating within said housing and having a portion projecting from the second end of said housing, said valve stem being axially moveable relative to the housing between a first limit portion at which the assembly is closed to liquid discharge and a second limit position for discharge of the metered volume, (vii) a chamber provided within the body of the valve stem and having a liquid inlet at a first end of the chamber adjacent said first end of the housing and a first fluid transfer passageway towards the opposite, second end of the chamber, said first fluid transfer passageway providing communication between the chamber and the exterior of the valve stem, and (viii) a liquid discharge element moveable along said chamber from a liquid primed position to a liquid discharged position to effect discharge of the metered volume of liquid, wherein (c) the exterior of the body of the valve stem and the interior of the housing are configured such that in the first position of the valve stem there is second fluid transfer passageway along the outside of the valve stem between the inlet of the housing and said first fluid transfer passageway, and (d) a seal is provided for relative sliding movement onto a seat as the valve stem moves from its first to second position to close said second fluid transfer passageway to fluid flow.