Rotating Aerosol Actuator with Click Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol dispensers face issues with complex designs, excessive force requirements for operation, inadequate return mechanisms for shorter stem heights, rattling, and confusion from multiple clicking mechanisms, as well as vulnerability to damage and misuse.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable aerosol valve actuator with a top and bottom portion, featuring a click post and flexible clicking rib for clear positional indication, stop flanges for rotation termination, and plastic spring members to prevent rattling and ensure proper alignment, along with interfitting cylinders for stability and vertical alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple clicking mechanisms are used to indicate actuator position, then positional feedback is provided, but consumer confusion increases due to multiple clicks and excessive rotation angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant clicking mechanisms from the actuator design, retaining only a single clicking mechanism that provides one distinct click for each rotational position (locked and unlocked). This reduction from multiple clicking mechanisms to a single streamlined mechanism maintains positional feedback while eliminating consumer confusion caused by multiple clicks and excessive rotation angles.
2Strength
If the top portion is made robust to resist damage from misuse and handling, then durability improves, but the force required to operate the actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is segmented into distinct functional components: a robust housing structure for durability, a separate triggering mechanism for actuation, and a locking mechanism for position maintenance. The triggering mechanism includes a trigger finger and trigger arm that can be actuated with light finger pressure, while the housing and locking components provide structural strength. This segmentation allows the robust portions to protect against damage while the triggering portions remain easy to operate.
3Ease of manufacture
If the actuator design is simplified for easier molding and manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity decreases, but the ability to prevent rattling and ensure proper alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components: the locking mechanism combines a locking arm, locking surface, and clicking mechanism into a single molded piece; the triggering mechanism integrates the trigger finger, trigger arm, and spring into one assembly; and the housing incorporates alignment features and rattling prevention elements directly into the molded structure. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps while maintaining reliability through built-in alignment and stabilization features.
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 provides a user-friendly, robust, and reliable actuation mechanism with clear positional feedback, ensuring proper alignment and preventing rattling, even with shorter stem heights, while maintaining stability and ease of operation.
Implementation Method 1
The lower portion of the actuator has a plurality of plastic spring members that interact with a plurality of spring-biasing members extending from the upper portion of the actuator only when the top portion has been rotated to its first position. In that position, the spring-biasing members overlie, contact and slightly depress the plastic spring members
Implementation Method 2
A click post and a flexible clicking rib provide a single click in each direction of rotation of the top portion, so as to indicate the actuator rotational position in a non-confusing manner to consumers
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An aerosol valve actuator with a top portion rotatable on a bottom portion. The entire top portion in one rotatable position is depressible vertically to actuate the valve. A click post and clicking rib provide a single click in each direction of rotation. Flanges on top and bottom portions interact to stop rotation as soon as each click occurs. Plastic springs interact with spring biasing members only when the top portion is in actuating position, and assure return of the actuator top portion to full upward position for rotation after actuation of even a short-stemmed valve. Downwardly extending flexible connecting flanges connect the actuator top and bottom portions. The top portion has a lower periphery with a plurality of upwardly extending indentations to overlie lateral ribs in the lower portion in actuation position. The top and bottom portions have interfitting cylinders to stabilize the top portion and maintain verticality.