Rotatable Dispensing Nozzle Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container systems for transferring printing substances suffer from leaks, spills, residual buildup, and contamination due to imprecise sealing mechanisms, which can damage printing devices and pose health and environmental risks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a rotatable dispensing nozzle system with a valve body and gasket material that maintains alignment and seals the dispensing container until interface alignment with the receiving container, wiping clean both interfaces before and after transfer to prevent leaks and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing mechanism is used at the mating interfaces of containers, then the structure is simple, but leaks and spills occur during substance transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing nozzle is made rotatable, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation between a first position (aligned with the dispensing opening for transfer) and a second position (sealed against the valve body). This dynamic positioning enables the sealing mechanism to adapt to different operational states, preventing leaks during both transfer and non-transfer conditions without requiring complex multiple sealing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket material is pre-installed on the valve body at the dispensing opening before the container is connected. This preliminary sealing preparation ensures that when the dispensing nozzle is in the second position, the seal is already in place, preventing spills and leaks without requiring additional complex sealing mechanisms during operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the dispensing nozzle remains stationary, then the structure is simple, but residual buildup and contamination occur at the mating interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable dispensing nozzle dynamically changes its position between dispensing and sealed states. When rotated to the second position, the nozzle seals against the gasket material, creating a clean break from the dispensing opening. This movement prevents residual substance from remaining at the mating interfaces, eliminating contamination sources without requiring additional cleaning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing nozzle is extracted from the valve body as a separate, rotatable component. This allows the nozzle to be moved away from the dispensing opening and sealed against the gasket material, effectively removing the source of contamination from the mating interface during the sealed state, preventing residual buildup without complex cleaning systems.
3Productivity
If the container interfaces are constantly open for transfer, then the transfer speed is fast, but leaks and spills occur during non-transfer periods
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing nozzle dynamically switches between two positions: aligned with the dispensing opening for efficient substance transfer, and sealed against the gasket material to prevent leaks during non-transfer periods. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain high transfer efficiency when needed while automatically preventing spills and leaks when the container is disconnected, without requiring the interface to remain partially open.
Data Source
AI summary
An example of a device (100) may include a valve body (108). The device may include a printing substance transfer window (122) through the valve body (108). The device (100) may include a printing substance dispensing nozzle (110) rotatable within the valve body (108) between a first orientation with an orifice of the printing substance dispensing nozzle (110) facing an internal face of the valve body (108) and a second orientation with the orifice (126) of the printing substance dispensing nozzle (110) facing the printing substance transfer window (122). The device (100) may include a dispensing-side gasket material (132) slideable against the internal face of the valve body (108) when rotating the printing substance dispensing nozzle (110) between the first orientation and the second orientation.