Rotatable Barrel Syringe with Threaded Plunger for Viscous Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing syringe designs are not well-suited for dispensing viscous liquids like edible oils, which can thicken or solidify with temperature and pressure changes, leading to product waste or increased effort to restore usability.
Innovation Solution
A syringe design featuring a rotatable barrel with a threaded plunger system, a semi-spherical piston and tip, and an elastic gasket for sealing, allowing for efficient dispensing of viscous fluids by minimizing space between components and preventing cap installation when fully extended, ensuring complete fluid dispensing regardless of consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a conventional syringe design is used to dispense viscous fluids, then the syringe structure is simple, but the fluid may thicken or solidify due to temperature and pressure changes, resulting in product waste or reduced dispensability
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is divided into distinct functional segments: a barrel portion for fluid containment, a tubular body with threaded engagement for plunger control, and a plunger body with piston. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, particularly the threaded mechanism that provides precise control over plunger movement to maintain fluid dispensability without waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger body is designed to move dynamically within the barrel through threaded engagement, allowing the piston to be precisely positioned at different depths. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt to varying fluid viscosities and dispensing requirements, preventing fluid thickening or solidification by maintaining optimal pressure and flow conditions throughout the dispensing process.
2Loss of substance
If the plunger is designed to move freely within the barrel, then the operation is simple, but viscous fluids may not be completely dispensed, leading to product waste
Solution Approach 1:
The simple linear movement mechanism is replaced with a threaded mechanical system where rotation of the barrel relative to the plunger body converts rotational motion into precise linear displacement of the piston. This mechanical substitution provides controlled, incremental movement that ensures complete fluid extraction from the barrel, eliminating waste while maintaining ease of operation through natural hand-twisting motion.
3Device complexity
If the syringe allows cap installation at any plunger position, then the design is simple, but cap installation may be problematic when plunger is not fully extended
Solution Approach 1:
The design incorporates a preliminary preventive mechanism where the plug geometry and barrel orifice are configured to automatically prevent cap installation unless the plunger is in the fully extended position. This preliminary anti-action eliminates the risk of improper cap installation by making it physically impossible when the plunger is not correctly positioned, thereby ensuring reliability without adding complex sensing or locking mechanisms.
4Loss of substance
If space between piston and barrel is large, then manufacturing is easier, but viscous fluids may leak or not be completely dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
An elastic gasket is introduced as a flexible sealing element between the piston and the barrel portion. This flexible membrane compensates for manufacturing tolerances and clearance variations, maintaining an effective seal that prevents fluid leakage and ensures complete dispensing of viscous fluids without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
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 syringe effectively dispenses viscous fluids without waste, maintaining usability by ensuring complete extraction and preventing cap installation when the plunger is fully extended, addressing the challenges of temperature and pressure-induced thickening or solidification.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic gasket located circumferentially about the piston to form a seal between the piston and barrel portion
Implementation Method 2
a threaded portion that engages threads within the tubular body that cause the plunger body to move vertically within the bore of the barrel between a retracted position and a fully extended position with a twisting of the barrel portion
Data Source
AI summary
A syringe is provided that includes a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; a barrel portion having an orifice at a top end of the barrel portion for dispensing a fluid, the tubular body rotatably coupled to the top end of the tubular body; and a plunger body disposed within a bore of the barrel portion and within the tubular body, the plunger body includes a threaded portion that engages threads within the tubular body that cause the plunger body to move vertically within the bore of the barrel between a retracted position and a fully extended position with a twisting of the barrel portion.