Spout Adapter Guide Groove Prevents Refill Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refilling systems for free-flowing or pourable washing agents face issues with mechanical damage to the sealing film during transport, leading to unintended spills and the risk of mixing incompatible products due to the thinness of the sealing film required for piercing, which increases costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A 'lock and key' coupling system using an adapter element with a guide groove and web, ensuring precise positioning and minimal force required for piercing, combined with a spout design that includes a funnel with a defined thin area for membrane puncture, preventing accidental refilling and mixing of incompatible products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the sealing film is made thin to enable easy piercing by the spout, then the piercing force required is reduced, but the film becomes vulnerable to mechanical damage during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing film is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a localized thin area (0.05-0.2 mm) at the puncture position while maintaining greater thickness elsewhere. This allows the spout to pierce easily at the designated point while the rest of the film remains strong enough to resist mechanical damage during transport and handling.
2Reliability
If an additional sealing cap is added to protect the film from mechanical effects, then the film protection is improved, but the refill container becomes more expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing film is integrated directly into the refill container structure as an inherent component rather than a separate protective cap. The adapter element is also integrated into the container, combining multiple functions (sealing, adapting, and guiding) into unified structures, thereby avoiding additional components and assembly steps.
3Ease of operation
If any refill container can be coupled to a specific storage container, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of mixing incompatible products increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter element and spout feature asymmetric geometric configurations including specific guide groove patterns, rim structures, and engagement surfaces. These asymmetric features create a 'lock and key' compatibility system where only refill containers with matching adapter geometries can be properly coupled to a given spout, preventing incompatible product mixing while maintaining ease of operation for compatible pairs.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for replenishing flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents, comprising a spout (1) that can be placed on the opening of a bottle (15) and has a collar (8) with a fastening means (5) for fastening the spout (1) to a bottle (15) in a fluid-tight manner, a collar (7) with a fastening means (6) for fastening a closure and/or metering cap (16) on the spout (1) in a fluid-tight and/or gas-tight manner, a wall (10) extending from the collar (8) or collar (7) in the direction of the bottle interior, a funnel (9) extending from the shoulder (17) of the wall (10) beyond the collar (6) out of the side of the spout (1) facing away from the bottle interior, wherein the funnel (9) has a funnel opening (11), and an adapter element (3) that can be coupled to the pouring opening of a replenishing container (2) and that comprises a cylinder element (21) and a peripheral collar (22), which is connected to the cylinder element (21) and on which a fastening element (24) is disposed for the fluid-tight fastening of the adapter element (3), a membrane (26), which in the mounted state of the adapter element (3) with the replenishing container (2) closes the replenishing container (2) and prevents leakage of flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents out of the replenishing container (2), in particular also in the inverted position of the replenishing container (2), wherein the cylinder element (21) of the adapter element (3) has a guide groove (21), which is configured such that the cylinder element (21) can be detachably placed over the funnel (9) and the web (19) of the spout (1) protruding from the funnel plane, whereby the positioning of the adapter element (3) relative to the spout (1) is determined.