Semipermeable Membrane Separating Element for Viscous Media Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing separating elements for extracting viscous or highly viscous media from containers, such as pastes, become unevenly filled and hinder effective venting, leading to significant gas contamination during extraction.
Innovation Solution
A semipermeable membrane-based separating element with a flexible polymer film and open-pore layer ensures reliable venting by preventing medium entry into the venting space, allowing gas passage while maintaining contact flexibility and reducing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sieve plate with sieve openings is used as a separating element, then gas venting is enabled before and during extraction, but the sieve plate fills up quickly with viscous media and becomes unevenly filled, hindering effective venting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the sieve plate with a porous separating element that has a homogeneous porous structure throughout. This allows gas to pass through uniformly across the entire surface area while preventing liquid media from penetrating, solving the problem of uneven filling and maintaining both venting reliability and extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the separating element from a non-porous sieve structure to a porous structure with controlled pore sizes. This parameter change enables the material to selectively pass gas while retaining liquid, resolving the contradiction between effective venting and prevention of medium accumulation
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid separating element is used, then structural stability is maintained, but it cannot adapt to surface contour variations of viscous media, reducing contact area and venting effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible separating element that can dynamically adapt its shape to follow the surface contour of the viscous media. This dynamic adaptation ensures maximum contact area and effective venting across the entire surface, while the element maintains sufficient structural stability to perform its separation function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible thin-walled separating element that can conform to irregular surfaces. This flexible structure maintains contact with the media surface across varying topographies, ensuring reliable venting effectiveness without compromising structural integrity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the separating element allows full contact with viscous media, then flexibility and adaptation are improved, but the medium enters the venting space and disrupts the venting process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous separating element with carefully controlled pore sizes that allow gas molecules to pass through while blocking larger liquid media molecules. This enables full surface contact and adaptation for effective venting, while simultaneously preventing medium entry into the venting space, thus eliminating gas contamination
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 enables bubble-free extraction of viscous media by ensuring controlled venting across the entire contact area, reducing gas contamination and associated costs, and simplifying handling and cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
If the base body has a membrane that is semipermeable to gas, especially air
Implementation Method 2
the functionality of the separating element for venting is maintained regardless of the size of the contact area with the medium
Implementation Method 3
the open-pored layer (10) forms one flat side (2a) of the multi-layered base body (2)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A device for removing a pumpable medium (6), in particular a liquid or paste, from the container (5) with a follower plate (8) which has at least one ventilating opening (8a) for drawing off gas (7), in particular air, between the pumpable medium (6) and the follower plate (8), and at least one intake opening (14) for sucking in the pumpable medium (6), and with a dividing element (1) which is arranged on the follower plate (8). The dividing element (1) has a gas-permeable main body (2) and an opening (3) for removing the pumpable medium, wherein the main body has a membrane which is semi-permeable for gas. The invention also discloses the corresponding method for removing a pumpable medium and the dividing element which is necessary for this purpose.