Segmented Heating Dispenser for Personal Care Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating dispensers for personal care products are unsuitable due to temperature cycling issues, high power consumption, inconsistency in heating time, reliance on external power sources, and lack of portability, making them inefficient and inconvenient for cosmetic applications.
Innovation Solution
A handheld, reusable heating dispenser with a battery-powered switchable electric heating circuit and a printed circuit board that heats a controlled volume of product to application temperature within seconds, using discrete resistive heating elements and a protective tip for efficient heat transfer, while minimizing product exposure and power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the reservoir is heated to raise product temperature, then the product viscosity is reduced and application is improved, but the product remaining in the dispenser degrades due to temperature cycling
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented to heat only the dispensing chamber and immediate product flow path, rather than heating the entire reservoir. This localized heating approach raises the temperature of dispensed product to improve viscosity and application while leaving the bulk product in the reservoir at ambient temperature, preserving its stability and preventing degradation from temperature cycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element is positioned to provide localized heating only where product is being dispensed, creating a temperature gradient within the reservoir. The local quality of heating is concentrated in the dispensing zone while the remainder of the reservoir remains cool, thus improving product flow characteristics without compromising overall product stability.
2Reliability
If more product is heated than will be dispensed, then heating consistency is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial heating action by heating only the precise amount of product that will be dispensed during each use, rather than heating excess product. The heating element is activated for a controlled duration that corresponds to the dispensing cycle, providing sufficient heating consistency for the dispensed portion while avoiding unnecessary power consumption from heating additional product.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system operates in periodic cycles synchronized with the dispensing action. The heating element is activated only when product is being dispensed and deactivates when dispensing stops, creating a periodic heating pattern that ensures consistent heating for each dispensed portion while minimizing overall power consumption by avoiding continuous heating.
3Quantity of substance
If the heating time is extended to heat larger volumes, then more product can be warmed, but the device becomes less portable and more cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is segmented into multiple small-volume heating zones along the product flow path rather than heating one large volume. This allows the device to heat product in smaller increments as it flows through the dispensing chamber, maintaining portability while still providing sufficient total heating for adequate product temperature and viscosity improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating action continues continuously as product flows through the heating zone during dispensing, rather than requiring a separate pre-heating step for large volumes. This continuous heating during the dispensing process itself allows efficient heating of the required product quantity while keeping the device compact and portable.
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 dispenser effectively heats a controlled volume of product to enhance its characteristics, such as viscosity reduction or ingredient activation, while maintaining product stability and reducing power consumption, offering portability and convenience with consistent heating performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element and a printed circuit board with a switchable electric heating circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A handheld, reusable product dispenser that heats a portion of flowable product as it is being dispensed from a reservoir. The reusable heating dispenser that is able to heat at least 50µL of a flowable product, from an ambient temperature to a product application temperature, immediately prior to dispensing. By heating the product, some characteristic of the product may be enhanced or improved. The reservoir is removable from the reusable housing. Preferably, the heating circuit is battery powered.