Elastic Pump Head Valve for Complete Emptying and Hygienic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metering systems, such as squeeze bottles and airless systems, often leave residual fluid in the pump head, which can lead to bacterial contamination, crystallization, and system inoperability due to drying residues.
Innovation Solution
A pump head with an elastic valve configured to fit the inner surface of the head part, allowing complete closure and ensuring no residual space, featuring a deformable elastic wall and a form-fit connection that ensures fluid release upon transitioning from the actuation to storage state, using materials like thermoplastic or silicone, and incorporating a restoring force mechanism like a spring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional valve designs are used in metering systems, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but residual fluid remains in the pump head leading to bacterial contamination and system failure
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic valve is configured with a geometric configuration that corresponds to and copies the inner surface geometry of the head part. This allows the valve to conform precisely to the head part's shape, ensuring complete closure and elimination of residual spaces where fluid could remain. The copying principle enables the valve to match the complex inner surface geometry without requiring equally complex mechanical closure mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve transitions from a rigid structure to an elastic, deformable structure that can change its physical state. During actuation, the elastic valve deforms to allow fluid passage, then returns to its original geometric configuration to ensure complete closure. This parameter change in material behavior (from rigid to elastic) enables the valve to adapt to pressure changes while maintaining reliable sealing.
2Loss of substance
If the elastic valve is configured to fit the entire inner surface, then complete fluid discharge is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic valve functions as a flexible shell that can conform to the inner surface geometry of the head part. This flexibility allows the valve to adapt to the head part's shape and ensure complete closure without requiring extremely precise manufacturing tolerances for both components. The elastic material compensates for minor manufacturing variations through its ability to deform and conform.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines the elastic valve material with the head part material to create a composite sealing system. The elastic valve is typically made from elastomers or thermoplastic elastomers that provide both structural integrity and sealing capability. This composite approach allows one component (the elastic valve) to compensate for imperfections in the other, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements.
3Reliability
If a form-fit connection is used between head part and first component, then fluidic seal is ensured, but assembly and disassembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic valve serves as a flexible sealing element that can be compressed or deformed during assembly to create the form-fit connection. This flexibility allows the valve to be pressed into place to ensure fluidic sealing, yet also allows for controlled disassembly by applying sufficient force to overcome the frictional and form-fit retention. The elastic material's ability to deform reversibly facilitates both secure assembly and controlled disassembly.
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 solution ensures complete fluid discharge from the pump head, preventing bacterial growth and system malfunction by ensuring a fluidic seal and preventing residue drying, thus maintaining the system's functionality and hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic valve (20) which has a geometric configuration corresponding to the inner surface of the head part (10), at least in regions, the elastic valve, in a storage state (A) of the pump head, being situated over the entire surface in a form-fit on the inner surface of the head part
Implementation Method 2
the elastic valve comprises a head and an elastic wall, the head having a geometric configuration corresponding to the inner surface of the head part and the elastic wall being configured deformably
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a pump head with a specially configured elastic valve which enables secure closure of the pump head. It is ensured by the valve that complete emptying and, at the same time, secure closing of the pump head is ensured so that no residues of fluid to be metered remain in the storage state of the pump head. In addition, the present invention relates to a metering device which can be configured for example as squeeze bottle, as non-airless system or as airless system, the metering device comprising a pump head according to the invention.