Solids Valve Sealing Collar for Pressurized Foam Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valves for pressurized cans, particularly those used for dispensing foams, face issues with moisture ingress leading to polymer hardening, which impairs operation, and suboptimal sealing when connected to dispensing aids like spray guns, resulting in either blockages or uncontrolled leaks.
Innovation Solution
A solid valve design featuring a stem with a sealing collar anchored in a peripheral depression, composed of two parts joined by 2K injection molding, with a thermoplastic elastomer upper part and a hard thermoplastic lower part, and an elastic element that includes a rubber-elastic material and a helical spring for reliable sealing and actuation, ensuring a secure connection to dispensing aids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is arranged on the stem, then sealing effect is improved, but valve actuation resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing collar is designed with a specific geometric profile featuring a sealing surface with increased radius of curvature that contacts the dispensing aid. This local geometric modification concentrates the sealing function at the contact interface while maintaining the stem's overall rigidity and actuation characteristics, resolving the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If sealing elements are made soft for optimal sealing, then sealing effect is improved, but valve actuation resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing collar's geometric design creates a localized sealing zone where the increased radius of curvature concentrates sealing pressure. This allows the sealing function to be optimized locally without requiring the entire stem or sealing elements to be soft, thereby maintaining ease of actuation while achieving reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing surface of the sealing collar features a specifically designed radius of curvature that is larger than the counterbore radius. This curvature geometry distributes contact pressure optimally across the sealing interface, achieving effective sealing through geometric design rather than material softness, thus avoiding increased actuation force.
3Ease of operation
If sealing elements are made hard for easy actuation, then ease of operation is improved, but sealing effect deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing collar creates a localized sealing interface with optimized geometry that achieves effective sealing through precise geometric design rather than material hardness. The sealing surface's increased radius of curvature ensures adequate contact pressure and sealing performance while the overall stem structure remains rigid for easy actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing collar's geometric profile with specifically designed radius of curvature creates an optimal sealing contact that does not depend on soft sealing materials. The curvature geometry ensures sufficient contact area and pressure distribution to achieve reliable sealing while maintaining the hardness and actuation characteristics of the stem material.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single-material sealing collar is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but sealing performance under movement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing collar is designed with a specific geometric profile that creates a localized sealing zone. This geometric design allows the sealing function to be achieved through shape rather than material composition, enabling manufacturing simplicity while maintaining reliable sealing performance during stem movement.
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 valve effectively prevents moisture ingress, maintains operational reliability, and provides an optimized sealing seat, allowing for proper connection to spray guns and ensuring controlled dispensing of foams without blockages or leaks.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic element that includes a rubber-elastic material and a helical spring for reliable sealing and actuation
Implementation Method 2
composed of two parts joined by 2K injection molding, with a thermoplastic elastomer upper part and a hard thermoplastic lower part
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 6
AI summary
The invention relates to a solids valve for pressurized canisters, in particular for dispensing assembly foams, comprising a valve body (2) arranged in a valve disk (1), a stem (3), which is guided in a central opening (21) of the valve body (2) and which has at least one inlet opening for the contents of the pressurized canister that can be opened by actuating the stem (3) and a central outlet opening, an elastic element (4) acting on the stem (3), and sealing elements (22, 23) acting between the valve disk (1) and the valve body (2) and between the valve body (2) and the stem (3), wherein the stem (3) has a sealing sleeve (5) for sealing against a dispensing aid, which is arranged in the region of the outlet opening and is anchored in a peripheral recess (32) of the stem (3), wherein the sleeve (5) comprises two parts (5a, 5b), which are joined together by two-component injection molding, the upper part (5a) of the sleeve being made of a thermoplastic elastomer and the lower part (5b) of the sleeve being made of a hard thermoplastic.