Metering Dispenser Spout Segmentation for Granular Material Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers for granular or flowable materials often fail to consistently meter and discharge a precise quantity of material, especially when rotational motion is partial or the spout is not aligned vertically, leading to inconsistent dosing and potential overfilling.
Innovation Solution
A measuring and dispensing device with a container and lid structure featuring integrally formed spout portions that create a pre-measurement and measurement chamber, where the alignment of these spouts allows for a consistent transfer of material from a pre-chamber to a measurement chamber, and a discharge passageway ensures accurate dosing, even with partial rotation, using a finger portion with a curved or angled edge to direct material flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple spout structure is used for material discharge, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of material dosing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spout is segmented into multiple functional portions: a first spout portion forming a measurement chamber, a second spout portion forming a pre-measurement chamber, and a finger portion creating a measurement opening. This segmentation allows each portion to perform a specific function in the material metering process, achieving precise dosing through the cumulative effect of multiple simple structural elements rather than a single complex mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If rotational motion is used to initiate material discharge, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of consistent dosing deteriorates when rotation is partial or misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-measurement chamber is positioned to receive material in advance during the rotation process. As the container rotates, material is automatically transferred into the pre-measurement chamber before reaching the discharge position. This preliminary action ensures that when the spout discharges, the material is already positioned and measured, making the dosing process reliable even with partial rotation or misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The finger portion acts as an intermediary element between the pre-measurement chamber and the measurement chamber. It creates a controlled measurement opening that regulates material flow, ensuring consistent dosing by mediating the transfer of material through a fixed geometric aperture regardless of rotation variations.
3Device complexity
If a single chamber design is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of material metering deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single spout structure is segmented into multiple chambers: the pre-measurement chamber for initial material reception and the measurement chamber for final dosing. This segmentation within a unified spout structure allows sequential metering stages without requiring separate discrete components, achieving enhanced measurement precision while maintaining relatively simple overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A measuring and dispensing device is defined for a stored flowable material. The device includes a container portion and a lid or covering portion. A first spout portion is formed as part of the container and is positioned on the outside of a sidewall, adjacent an upper rim. The first spout portion defines a measurement chamber. The lid closely fits on the upper rim of the container. A second spout portion is integrally formed with the lid and projects from the lid sidewall, adjacent an engagement rim. The second spout portion defines a pre-measurement chamber within the container sidewall. The first and second spout portions aligned upon assembly of the container and the lid, with the first spout portion positioned within the measurement chamber. The first spout portion is spaced from the second spout portion, with the spacing defining a discharge passageway for the measurement chamber.