Monolithic Bar Gun Handle With Smooth Channels for Reduced Foaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bar gun handles made from laminated acrylic sheets face challenges such as lengthy manufacturing processes, high costs, quality control issues, and irregular fluid channels causing turbulent flow and excessive foaming of carbonated beverages.

Innovation Solution

A monolithic bar gun handle with smooth, regular internal fluid channels is constructed using 3D printing or additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for solvent welding and reducing the risk of delamination, while ensuring laminar flow and improved beverage quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If laminated acrylic sheets are used to construct bar gun handles, then the handles can be manufactured with internal fluid channels, but the manufacturing process becomes lengthy and complex requiring multiple CNC machines and solvent welding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate manufacturing operations (CNC machining of multiple layers, solvent application, bonding, curing, and finishing) into a single 3D printing process that creates the complete handle with internal fluid channels in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for assembly and bonding steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from subtractive CNC machining and chemical solvent welding to additive 3D printing, fundamentally altering the production methodology to achieve both simplified processes and faster production times

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If solvent welding is used to bond acrylic layers, then the handle structure can be assembled, but the process is costly, imperfect, and requires highly skilled labor to prevent delamination and leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding qualityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (solvent welding) with an additive manufacturing process that builds the handle layer by layer, creating integral bonds between sections without requiring chemical adhesives or skilled bonding operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The 3D printing process inherently creates strong bonds between layers through the additive manufacturing mechanism itself, eliminating the need for external bonding agents and skilled operators to ensure proper bonding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional CNC machining is used to create fluid channels in acrylic sheets, then the channels can be formed, but the channel walls become angled and irregular causing turbulent flow and excessive foaming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel formation capabilityVSAvoidchannel wall smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical CNC machining with additive 3D printing, which deposits material in a controlled manner to create smooth channel walls without the angled cuts and irregular surfaces inherent in subtractive machining processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The 3D printing process naturally creates curved, continuous channel walls rather than the angular, faceted surfaces produced by CNC machining, resulting in smoother fluid flow paths that reduce turbulence and foaming

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Device complexity

If multiple acrylic layers are assembled and bonded, then the handle can be constructed with complex internal channels, but the process requires 12-24 hours of oven curing and additional post-processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinternal channel complexityVSAvoidcuring and post-processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the creation of complex internal channels with the handle structure itself in a single 3D printing operation, eliminating the need for separate bonding and curing steps that are required when assembling multiple layers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The additive manufacturing process continuously builds the handle and internal channels in an uninterrupted sequence, whereas conventional methods require interruption for bonding, curing, and post-processing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250289703A1Bar gun

Publication Date: 2025.09.18 TAPRITE MICRO MATIC INC

AI summary

An improved beverage dispensing apparatus, namely, a beverage dispensing device, comprising a monolithic handle having a plurality of fluid inlet ports and a plurality of fluid outlet ports; a plurality of valves situated within the handle, each valve movable in response to actuation; a plurality of internal fluid channels integrally formed within the monolithic handle, each internal fluid channel possessing smooth walls without irregularities; wherein a first internal fluid channel of the plurality of internal fluid channels fluidly couples a first fluid inlet port of the plurality of fluid inlet ports to a first valve of the plurality of valves; and wherein a second internal fluid channel of the plurality of internal fluid channels fluidly couples the first valve to a first fluid outlet port of the plurality of fluid outlet ports.