Pivoting Dip Tube for Recyclable Pump Dispensers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pump assemblies for dispensing containers face inefficiencies due to curved bottom surfaces in containers, leading to wasted product, require custom manufacturing for varying designs, and include non-recyclable components that complicate recycling and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A recyclable pump assembly with a pivoting dip tube that adjusts to accommodate different container shapes, using a coupling mechanism with a variable diameter and high-specific-gravity ball valves to maintain fluid connection and prevent damage, allowing for efficient dispensing and easy recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the dip tube is fixed in position, then the pump assembly structure is simple, but product is wasted in depressed areas of curved container bottoms
Solution Approach 1:
The dip tube is made movable through a pivoting mechanism that allows it to change position and angle. The dip tube can pivot about a coupling joint to adjust its orientation, enabling it to reach into depressed areas of curved container bottoms and extract product that would otherwise be wasted.
2Loss of substance
If the dip tube position is repositioned for different container designs, then product extraction efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity and retooling time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dip tube incorporates a pivoting mechanism with a coupling joint that enables dynamic adjustment of the dip tube's position and angle. This allows a single pump assembly design to adapt to various container shapes and bottom curvatures without requiring custom manufacturing or retooling for different container types.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump assembly is designed with a universal pivoting dip tube mechanism that can accommodate multiple container designs and configurations. The same basic pump assembly structure can be used across different product lines and container types, eliminating the need for custom assemblies and reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If non-recyclable materials like metal springs and glass valves are used, then pump assembly durability and performance improve, but recycling difficulty and processing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump assembly is constructed entirely from recyclable plastic materials, creating a homogeneous material composition throughout the assembly. This eliminates the need for material separation during recycling processes, making the entire pump assembly recyclable through standard plastic recycling streams without additional processing steps.
4Ease of operation
If the dip tube is left free-moving during assembly, then installation ease improves, but the dip tube becomes snagged, caught, or bent causing production stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The dip tube incorporates a pivoting mechanism with a coupling joint that provides controlled movement during installation. The dip tube can pivot and flex to navigate around obstacles and avoid getting snagged or bent during high-speed assembly operations, while still maintaining ease of installation through its flexible, adaptive positioning capability.
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 pivoting dip tube design reduces waste by extracting all contents from containers of varying shapes, lowers manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for custom assemblies, and facilitates recycling by using uniform recyclable materials.
Implementation Method 1
The pump assembly may further comprise one or more ball valves comprised of a recyclable material and having a specific gravity greater than one
Data Source
AI summary
A pump assembly for a pump dispenser, the pump assembly comprises a cap having a housing and a spout, a collar, a sleeve, and a dip tube. The sleeve is at least partially positioned within the collar and comprises a coupling member. The coupling member comprises a shoulder, a coupling joint, and a coupling member channel extending from the shoulder to the coupling joint. The dip tube has a first end and an opposing second end, and defines a dip tube channel extending from the first end to the second end. The first end of the dip tube is configured to pivotally couple to the coupling joint and fluidly connect the dip tube channel and the coupling member channel. The dip tube channel comprises a first diameter at the first end and second diameter at the second end that is different than the first diameter.