Rotating Seal Dispenser for Controlled Granular Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers for flowable products, such as granular or powdered materials, lack a reliable and controlled mechanism for discharging specific doses, often relying on cumbersome rotation mechanisms and prone to leakage or incomplete discharge.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser design featuring a rotatable sealing member with defined positions that exposes the inlet of a discharge tube to the storage chamber for selective discharge, incorporating a dosing compartment and a cap member for controlled alignment with the discharge opening, ensuring precise and complete dosing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rotatable sealing member is used to control discharge, then discharge control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into multiple sectors with different functions: a first sector seals the discharge tube inlet, a second sector opens the inlet for discharge, and a third sector seals the discharge opening. This segmentation allows precise control of discharge timing and quantity through rotational positioning, resolving the contradiction between control precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member is made rotatable relative to the discharge tube, transforming a static sealing structure into a dynamic one. This rotational movement enables the sealing member to transition between different functional positions (sealing, opening, and controlled discharge), providing precise discharge control while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the discharge tube inlet is always open, then ease of operation is improved, but product leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is pre-positioned to seal the discharge tube inlet before discharge is needed. When discharge is required, the sealing member is rotated to open the inlet. This preliminary sealing action prevents leakage during storage and transport, while the easy rotation mechanism maintains ease of operation when discharge is needed.
3Reliability
If the discharge tube is positioned at the bottom of the storage chamber, then complete discharge is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the discharge tube vertically at the bottom of the storage chamber, the invention positions it horizontally along the side wall. The discharge tube extends from the side wall toward the bottom, allowing the product to be discharged through the horizontal tube while the sealing member controls access to the tube inlet. This dimensional change achieves complete discharge without requiring high vertical positioning precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser is provided for a flowable product and is defined by a container body forming a storage chamber. A discharge tube is provided with an inlet positioned adjacent a bottom end of the storage chamber and an outlet positioned adjacent a discharge opening in the container. A sealing member is rotatably secured to the bottom end of the container body and includes a defined first position and defined second position. A closing member is positioned at the inlet end of the discharge tube when the sealing member is in the defined first position. Rotation of the sealing member from the first position to the second position moves the closing member away from the inlet opening and exposes the inlet to product within the storage chamber for selective discharge through the discharge tube outlet and the discharge opening.