Ergonomic Spray Actuator Trigger With Changing Moment Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray actuators are not ergonomically designed to accommodate a range of user sizes and operating styles, leading to inefficiencies and user fatigue when dispensing different compositions, as the design parameters such as piston bore, stroke length, and trigger articulation may not align with individual user capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The ergonomic spray actuator features a housing with a narrowed waist portion that comfortably fits the user's thumb and forefinger, allowing for easier grip and reduced pressure on the fingers and wrist, along with a trigger design that can be actuated using multiple fingers and includes zones with a changing moment arm to reduce fatigue, enabling consistent operation across various user sizes and compositions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the piston bore is increased to improve dispensing volume, then the force necessary to achieve proper trigger stroke becomes too great for a particular user, but reducing the piston bore reduces dispensing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger is designed with multiple zones of different lengths along its stroke path, allowing the moment arm to dynamically change during operation. This enables the actuator to adapt to different user strengths while maintaining adequate dispensing volume, as the varying moment arm provides mechanical advantage adjustment during the trigger stroke.
2Quantity of substance
If the piston stroke is increased to improve dispensing volume, then the user may not pull the trigger for the entire intended path length due to hand size limitations, but reducing the piston stroke reduces dispensing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger incorporates multiple zones with varying lengths that create a dynamic moment arm effect. This allows users with different hand sizes to comfortably complete the full trigger stroke, as the changing moment arm provides progressive mechanical advantage that accommodates varying user capabilities while ensuring complete piston stroke for adequate dispensing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger design changes the moment arm parameter along its stroke path, with different zones having different lengths. This parameter variation allows the actuator to accommodate different user hand sizes and strengths, ensuring that all users can complete the full trigger stroke while maintaining consistent dispensing performance.
3Force
If the trigger articulation is increased to improve mechanical advantage, then the user may not pull the trigger for the entire intended path length due to hand fatigue, but reducing the trigger articulation reduces mechanical advantage
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger is designed with multiple zones that create a dynamic moment arm, allowing mechanical advantage to vary during the stroke. This dynamic design provides sufficient mechanical advantage in the later zones where users need it most, while keeping the overall trigger length manageable to prevent hand fatigue, enabling complete stroke completion for all users.
4Manufacturing precision
If the actuator is designed for full trigger strokes at particular stroke speed, then the spray characteristics are optimized, but the user may operate the trigger slower or faster than intended leading to inconsistent spray
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic moment arm design with multiple trigger zones provides progressive mechanical advantage that compensates for variations in user stroke speed. This allows users to operate the trigger at their natural pace while still achieving consistent spray characteristics, as the changing moment arm automatically adjusts the force application throughout the stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger design incorporates parameter changes in the form of varying zone lengths that modify the moment arm. This parameter variation compensates for user-operated speed variations, ensuring that spray characteristics remain consistent regardless of whether the user pulls the trigger quickly or slowly, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining spray precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
An actuator includes a nozzle; a valve; and a trigger (28) operatively connected with the valve, wherein the trigger comprises an elastomeric material, wherein the trigger is configured to reciprocate from a forward position to a rearward position and back to a forward position upon actuation, wherein upon actuation from a forward position to a rearward position the trigger comprises a changing moment arm.