Refillable Fluid Dispenser Chamber for Clean Filling Orifices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refillable fluid dispensers suffer from cleanliness issues at the filling orifice due to residual fluid that can contaminate objects, limiting their widespread availability in stores.
Innovation Solution
A chamber with retention means is introduced between the filling orifice and the filling valve, which retains fluid product inside the chamber during and after filling, ensuring the orifice remains clean by utilizing anti-drip devices, variable volume, or spongy material to prevent fluid from leaking back into the orifice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a filling orifice is used to refill the reservoir, then the dispenser can be refilled easily, but residual fluid remains at the filling orifice causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The filling system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the filling orifice for fluid entry, the chamber as an intermediate retention space, and the filling valve for controlled dispensing. This segmentation allows the chamber to capture residual fluid that would otherwise remain at the filling orifice, preventing contamination while maintaining easy refilling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The chamber acts as an intermediary element between the filling orifice and the filling valve. It receives fluid from the orifice, retains residual amounts through its retention means, and only allows controlled passage to the valve. This intermediary structure solves the contamination problem by intercepting and holding residual fluid away from the filling orifice.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the chamber volume is increased to retain more fluid, then the cleanliness of the filling orifice is improved, but the overall device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention means are localized within the chamber with specific functional properties. The chamber contains retention means (such as absorbent material or specific geometric features) concentrated at the region where fluid accumulation occurs, providing effective fluid retention with minimal additional volume. This localized approach maintains cleanliness without significantly increasing overall dispenser size.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention means may utilize porous or absorbent materials within the chamber that can capture and hold residual fluid through capillary action and absorption. These materials provide high surface area for fluid retention in a compact form, effectively cleaning the filling orifice while occupying minimal space within the chamber.
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 chamber effectively retains fluid within, preventing contamination and ensuring the filling orifice remains clean, applicable to various viscosities of fluids, including perfumes and cosmetics, and prevents drying of cosmetic products.
Implementation Method 1
the chamber contains a spongy material which is expressed under the action of the fluid injected under pressure into the chamber and which becomes impregnated with fluid as the pressure falls back into the chamber
Implementation Method 2
the chamber may have a variable volume between a maximum volume in the rest state and a minimum volume when pressure is exerted at the filling orifice, thus creating a suction effect of the fluid product towards the interior of the chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed is a refillable fluid product dispenser comprising: – a fluid product reservoir (R) defining a neck (R2) and a filling port (10); – a dispensing member (P), such as a pump, mounted on the neck (R2) of the fluid product reservoir (R) for extracting the fluid product; – a filling valve (2, 3); – a chamber (C) separating the filling port (10) from the filling valve (2), the dispenser being characterised in that the chamber (C) comprises retention means (4) for retaining the fluid product inside the chamber (C).