Reservoir Piston with Discrete Guide Points and Single-Line Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers without air intake feature visible and ungainly pistons that detract from the aesthetic appeal of cosmetic or pharmaceutical products, particularly when the reservoir is transparent or translucent.
Innovation Solution
A piston design featuring a central axis with sealing means forming a single external sealing line and guiding means with discrete external guide points, minimizing contact with the reservoir's inner wall to conceal the piston, using materials like PP, PCTA, PET, SEBS, and polyurethane for flexibility and rigidity, and incorporating decorative elements to blend with the product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pistons with two sealing lips are used, then sealing function is ensured, but the piston becomes visible and ungainly through the transparent reservoir wall
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is segmented into only essential elements: a single sealing lip and discrete guide points, eliminating the bulky two-lip structure. This segmentation reduces the visible profile while maintaining sealing and guiding functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing lip is designed as a thin, flexible element that contacts the reservoir wall at a single line rather than a broad crown. This thin-film approach minimizes visibility through the transparent wall while ensuring effective sealing.
2Ease of operation
If two sealing lips are used to guide the piston, then guiding function is improved, but the volume between lips creates visible air space and ungainly appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding function is extracted from the sealing lips themselves and implemented through discrete guide points that contact the reservoir wall at minimal locations. This removes the need for the voluminous two-lip structure that created visible air spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using broad lips to guide the piston, the invention uses minimal contact points (guide points) that invert the traditional approach. The guiding function is achieved through point contacts rather than surface contacts, minimizing visibility.
3Shape
If the piston structure is simplified to reduce visibility, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but sealing and guiding reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The piston exhibits local quality by concentrating sealing and guiding functions at specific locations (sealing line and guide points) rather than distributing them across broad surfaces. This localized approach maintains reliability while minimizing overall visible profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sealing lip and guide points are designed to self-align and self-adjust during piston movement, ensuring reliable sealing and guiding without requiring the complex two-lip structure. The simple design serves itself through proper geometric configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A piston for a reservoir of a dispenser of a fluid product without air intake, and presenting a central axis X includes both sealing means and also guiding means. The sealing means extend in a plane orthogonal to the axis X and define a single external sealing line in a closed loop, distal from the axis X, capable of coming into contact with an inner wall of the reservoir 10. The guiding means include a base from which extends one or more tabs with free ends defining external guide points, distal from the axis X, capable of coming into contact with the inner wall of the reservoir.