Refillable Stick Dispenser Cartridge With Lubricant-Free Threaded Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stick product dispensers require lubrication between moving parts, leading to increased manufacturing costs and complexity, and lack refillable and replaceable cartridge options.
Innovation Solution
A refillable dispenser design featuring a holder cup and A-shell that cannot rotate or translate relative to each other, utilizing threaded mechanisms to allow translation without rotation, and eliminating the need for lubrication by reducing friction through specific cross-sectional shapes and grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If lubricant is applied to moving surfaces to reduce friction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the lubricant from the system entirely, extracting the harmful element that caused friction between the holder cup and A-shell. By eliminating the lubricant requirement, the design simplifies the device structure and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining operational ease through alternative friction-reduction mechanisms like cross-sectional shape geometry and groove designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful friction effect into a beneficial design constraint by using specific cross-sectional shapes and groove configurations. These geometric features are designed to work together to reduce friction without requiring lubricant, turning the problem of friction into a solution for lubricant-free operation.
2Ease of operation
If holder cup and A-shell are designed to move relative to each other, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability decreases due to friction-related issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the source of reliability problems by removing the lubricant that caused friction between moving surfaces. The holder cup and A-shell are designed with specific cross-sectional shapes and grooves that enable relative movement without lubrication, eliminating friction-related reliability issues while maintaining operational ease.
3Adaptability or versatility
If refillable and replaceable cartridge design is implemented, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the dispenser into separable components: a reusable dispenser body and replaceable cartridges containing the holder cup and A-shell assembly. This segmentation enables refillable and replaceable functionality, improving adaptability while managing complexity through modular design where the cartridge can be easily removed and replaced without affecting the main dispenser structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A refillable dispenser for a stick product according to the present invention comprises a holder cup, an A-shell and an inner base. Preferably, the dispenser will also comprise an outer base and a closure. The holder cup and A-shell form a cartridge subassembly for a stick product that can be bottom filled, and removed and replaced as needed. The dispenser requires no lubricant.