Plastic-Spring Dispensing Head for Recyclable Liquid Pumping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dispensers for pharmaceutical and cosmetic liquids are designed as single-use items, leading to low recyclability and waste generation.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing head with a base unit and a displaceable dispensing unit, utilizing a plastics-material restoring spring, such as a bellows spring, and a pump device with inlet and outlet valves, allowing for easy recycling and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional liquid dispensers are designed as single-use items, then ease of manufacture and operation are improved, but recyclability and environmental sustainability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The restoring spring is changed from traditional metal material to plastics material, matching the material composition of other dispenser components. This parameter change in material type enables the entire dispenser to be recycled together, transforming it from a single-use item to a recyclable product while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The plastics-material restoring spring serves multiple functions: it provides the necessary mechanical restoring force, matches the material composition of other dispenser parts for unified recycling, and maintains compatibility with existing manufacturing processes. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and recyclability
2Reliability
If a metals-material restoring spring is used, then reliability and force characteristics are improved, but recyclability deteriorates due to mixed materials
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter of the restoring spring is changed from metal to plastics, enabling uniform material composition across all dispenser components. This allows the entire assembly to be recycled together without material separation, while the plastics material maintains sufficient mechanical properties for reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The restoring spring is made from the same plastics material as other dispenser components, creating material homogeneity throughout the device. This homogeneous material composition enables simplified recycling processes where all parts can be processed together, resolving the contradiction between reliability and recyclability
3Ease of operation
If the dispensing unit is made displaceable for pump activation, then dispensing function is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restoring spring is integrated directly into the pump mechanism, merging the restoring force function with the pump activation mechanism. This integration eliminates the need for separate components and complex assembly, reducing device complexity while maintaining effective dispensing function through the simple displacement of the dispensing unit
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 design enables high recyclability, with over 99% of the dispensing head composed of plastics material, ensuring efficient and cost-effective recycling while maintaining consistent liquid dispensation.
Implementation Method 1
The restoring spring which acts between the base unit and the dispensing unit is also designed as a plastics-material spring... When the dispensing unit is depressed, the bellows spring is axially compressed and elastically tensioned in the process. The bellows spring relaxes in the absence of the depressing force, thus pushing the dispensing unit away from the base unit again.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing head for pharmaceutical or cosmetic liquids, including a base unit for attaching to a liquid reservoir and a dispensing unit having an applicator housing penetrated by a dispensing opening. The dispensing unit is displaceable, counter to the force of a restoring spring, relative to the base unit. Further, a pump device of the dispensing head is activatable by movement of the dispensing unit relative to the base unit and conveys liquid from the liquid reservoir to the dispensing opening. The restoring spring is configured as a plastics-material spring.