Multi-Channel Spike for Collapsible Bag Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional domestic liquid dispensers using rigid water bottles are cumbersome, expensive, and difficult to sterilize, leading to issues with water overflow and contamination risks due to their size, weight, and non-collapsible design.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispensing system utilizing a single spike with multiple internal channels to puncture and dispense from collapsible bags, ensuring controlled fluid and air flow, and a dispensing valve to manage pressure and prevent overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid water bottles are used in conventional dispensers, then water can be dispensed using pressure differential, but the bottles are heavy, expensive, and require great space for transport and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid plastic bottles with flexible collapsible bags made of thin film material. The bags can be collapsed as liquid is dispensed, allowing them to be compacted for efficient storage and transport while maintaining their function of holding and dispensing liquid through the vacuum chamber mechanism.
2Reliability
If rigid water bottles are used, then water can be retained in the bottle using pressure differential, but the bottles cannot be collapsible or stackable, requiring great deal of space
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid bottles are replaced with flexible collapsible bags that can be compressed and stacked when empty. The bags maintain their volume when full for water retention, then collapse as liquid is dispensed, allowing them to be compacted for efficient storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic collapsible structure that changes volume as liquid is dispensed. The bag collapses dynamically as liquid leaves the vacuum chamber, adapting its volume to the remaining liquid amount, which enables efficient stacking and storage.
3Ease of operation
If the water bottle has a neck for positioning in the chamber, then the bottle can be properly located, but sterilization becomes difficult as sterilizing agents cannot reach all interior parts
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having a neck protruding from the bag for positioning (which creates sterilization problems), the invention inverts the approach by having a flat bottom surface on the bag that places directly onto the puncturing device. This eliminates the neck structure entirely, allowing sterilizing agents to easily reach all interior surfaces of the bag.
4Ease of manufacture
If rigid plastic bottles are reused after sterilization, then cost is reduced, but over time cracks or holes develop causing uncontrolled water flow and chamber overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive reusable rigid bottles with cheaper disposable flexible bags. Each bag is used once and then discarded, eliminating the accumulation of cracks and holes that occur with repeated use and sterilization of rigid bottles. The low cost of the disposable bags makes this economically viable.
5Reliability
If a valve is added to control water flow and prevent chamber overflow, then overflow risk is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the natural vacuum pressure differential created as liquid is dispensed to automatically control the flow. As liquid leaves the vacuum chamber, a vacuum forms that automatically stops further liquid flow without requiring any valve mechanism. The system serves itself by using the physics of the situation to control the process.
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 system provides a lightweight, cost-effective, and sanitary method for dispensing liquids, reducing the risk of overflow and contamination while allowing for efficient use of space and easy sterilization.
Implementation Method 1
a puncturing tip at the distal end... through which fluid can flow through the first channel when a bag of fluid is punctured by the puncturing tip
Implementation Method 2
a first channel internal to the shaft, the first channel having a first fluid inlet on the puncturing tip through which fluid can flow through the first channel
Implementation Method 3
a second channel internal to the spike, the second channel being noncontiguous with the first channel and having a second fluid inlet on the outer surface below the first fluid inlet through which fluid can flow through the second channel
Implementation Method 4
a dispensing valve connected to the enclosed chamber allowing for dispensing liquid from the enclosed chamber
Implementation Method 5
Air, introduced into the water bottle through the mouth, allows water to be dispensed from the inverted bottle until the water level in the chamber reaches the mouth of the bottle. Since the water bottle is rigid, once the water level in the chamber reaches the mouth of the bottle no more air can enter the bottle, so water remaining in the inverted bottle is retained in the bottle due to the difference between the air pressure external to the inverted bottle and the air pressure inside the bottle.
Data Source
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AI summary
A spike for dispensing fluids from a flexible bag, wherein the spike includes multiple fluid channels which transfer liquids from the bag to an enclosed dispensing chamber and air from the enclosed chamber to the bag to permit and control fluid flow within the system.