Piston Pump with Air Replenishment to Prevent Container Collapse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid dispensers face challenges in maintaining the shape and appearance of closed containers under vacuum conditions, as they either require substantial strength to prevent collapse or result in fluid wastage and unsightly appearance when collapsible.
Innovation Solution
A piston pump system that includes a fluid pump and a replenishing air pump, where atmospheric air is discharged into the container to prevent vacuum formation, maintaining the container's shape and appearance by keeping it full.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a one-way vacuum release valve is used to relieve vacuum in the bottle, then air can enter the bottle to relieve vacuum, but a substantial vacuum must be developed for the valve to be effective and the bottle still needs to be resistant to collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The replenishing air pump actively introduces air into the container before a substantial vacuum can develop, preventing vacuum formation rather than reacting to it. This preliminary action eliminates the need for the container to resist collapse while ensuring the vacuum relief function operates at all times, not just when substantial vacuum is present.
2Ease of manufacture
If a collapsible bottle or flexible plastic bag is used to contain fluid, then the bottle can be less robust and less expensive, but the bottle may collapse in a manner that traps fluid and creates an unsightly appearance
Solution Approach 1:
By actively replenishing air into the container before collapse occurs, the system maintains the container's full shape and appearance throughout dispensing. This prevents the unsightly collapse and fluid trapping issues while still allowing the use of flexible, cost-effective container materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system automatically monitors and maintains internal pressure, allowing the container to self-regulate its shape and appearance without requiring robust structural materials. The active pressure management enables the container to maintain its intended form factor throughout the dispensing cycle.
3Strength
If the bottle is provided with sufficient strength to resist collapse under vacuum, then the bottle maintains its shape and appearance, but the bottle requires more material and is more expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The replenishing air pump proactively maintains positive or neutral pressure in the container, eliminating vacuum conditions that would require strong collapse-resistant materials. This allows the use of thinner, less expensive container materials while maintaining shape and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic pressure management to maintain container integrity, replacing the need for mechanically strong materials with a pressure-controlled environment. The active air replenishment creates a pneumatic support system that maintains container shape without requiring robust material construction.
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 effectively prevents container collapse and maintains the container's full appearance, ensuring consistent fluid flow and reducing waste, while allowing for the use of less robust and less expensive container materials.
Implementation Method 1
atmospheric air is discharged into the reservoir towards reducing a vacuum that might otherwise be created within the container
Implementation Method 2
a fluid pump with a fluid piston and a fluid chamber casing forming a fluid chamber within which the fluid piston is reciprocally slidable relative the fluid chamber casing along a fluid axis in a cycle of operation to draw the fluid from the container and discharge the fluid out the discharge outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A piston pump for dispensing fluid from a closed container in which during the cycle of operation to dispense fluid, atmospheric air is discharged into the reservoir towards reducing a vacuum that might otherwise be created within the container.