Pump Dispenser for Flexible Pouches
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid dispensing systems from flexible pouches, such as 'bag in box' products, face issues like incomplete drainage, slow flow rates when empty, and the need for the tap to be positioned at the bottom, which limits flexibility and convenience in placement and usage.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser system with a mechanical pumping mechanism that allows fluid to be dispensed from any position on the pouch, using a diaphragm or piston pump to create a vacuum and ensure complete drainage and constant flow rates, enabling the pouch to be placed anywhere and allowing for precise volume dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gravity flow tap is used at the bottom of the pouch, then the pouch can be emptied completely, but the dispensing position is limited and requires the container to be placed below the pouch or elevated by hand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the gravity-based mechanical flow system with a pump-driven system. The pump creates pressure differentials to move liquid through the pouch regardless of orientation, eliminating the need for gravity-dependent bottom-positioned taps and enabling flexible pouch placement anywhere on a surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system serves multiple functions: it enables liquid flow in any pouch orientation, maintains consistent flow rates, and allows the dispensing tap to be positioned at various locations on the pouch (top, side, or bottom), making the system universally adaptable to different placement scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pouch is positioned horizontally or at an angle, then space is saved and placement flexibility is improved, but gravity flow becomes slower and incomplete drainage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes gravity-driven flow with an actively controlled pump system that maintains consistent flow rates independent of pouch orientation. The pump generates sufficient pressure to overcome gravitational variations and ensure complete drainage whether the pouch is horizontal, vertical, or at any intermediate angle.
3Ease of manufacture
If the pouch packaging material is flexible, then it can collapse around the product during drainage, but product remains in the pouch due to lack of head pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces passive gravity-driven collapse with an active pump system that maintains positive pressure throughout the dispensing process. This ensures complete extraction of liquid from the flexible pouch regardless of the pouch's collapsing state, preventing product retention that occurs with gravity-fed systems.
4Quantity of substance
If the dispensing tap is positioned at the bottom of the pouch, then complete drainage is achieved, but the container must be placed at the edge of a table or elevated by hand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamically controllable pump system that can maintain liquid flow in any orientation. This dynamic pressure control eliminates the static requirement for bottom-positioned taps and edge-of-table placement, allowing the pouch to be positioned conveniently anywhere on a flat surface while achieving complete drainage through pump-driven flow.
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 ensures complete drainage of flexible pouches, maintains constant flow rates, and allows for precise volume dispensing, overcoming the limitations of gravity-fed systems by enabling the tap to be positioned anywhere on the pouch, enhancing convenience and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator may be configured to operatively increase and decrease pressure in the first chamber such that the first valve and the second valve change from their respective closed configurations to their respective open configurations and from their respective open configurations to their respective closed configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser includes a body having a an exterior surface, an interior surface, a first chamber, a first opening in fluid communication with the first chamber and extending through the body, a second opening in fluid communication with the first chamber and extending through the body, a first valve and a second valve disposed on the body, the valves having a closed and an open configuration, and an actuator disposed at least partially within the first chamber. The actuator may be configured to increase and decrease pressure in the first chamber such that the first valve and the second valve change from their respective closed configurations to their respective open configurations and from their respective open configurations to their respective closed configurations. When in the closed configuration, flow through the valves is impeded.