Squeeze Dispenser Air Venting for Pressure-Equalized Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bag-in-bottle squeeze dispensers experience air pressure variances during transportation, leading to unintended expulsion of contents when opened, causing waste and mess due to differences in atmospheric and internal air pressure.
Innovation Solution
A squeeze dispenser design featuring a non-rigid housing, flexible bag, and a cap with a dispensing valve and one-way air valve to equilibrate air pressure, allowing atmospheric air to compensate for volume changes, preventing involuntary expulsion of contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bag-in-bottle squeeze dispenser is used to contain and dispense fluid, then product shelf life is prolonged and product integrity is improved, but air pressure variances during transportation cause involuntary expulsion of contents upon opening
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is divided into separate functional components: an inner flexible bag containing the fluid product, an outer rigid housing providing structural support, and a cap assembly with separate air pressure equalization mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to address specific functions independently, preventing pressure-related expulsion while maintaining product integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A one-way air valve is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the internal air space and the external atmosphere. This valve allows air to enter the housing to equalize pressure during transportation, but prevents air from escaping during dispensing, thereby eliminating pressure-driven expulsion while maintaining the sealed bag-in-bottle configuration.
2Reliability
If the dispenser is sealed to prevent air contact with product, then product integrity is improved, but air pressure differences cause waste and mess from unintended expulsion
Solution Approach 1:
The air valve mechanism transitions between different states: remaining closed during dispensing to maintain product integrity, and opening during transportation to equalize air pressure. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt to different operational conditions, preventing waste from unintended expulsion while preserving product integrity through selective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter dynamically by allowing air ingress through the one-way valve during transportation, equalizing the internal and external air pressure. This parameter change eliminates the pressure differential that would otherwise cause involuntary expulsion and waste, while the dispensing valve maintains the sealed condition needed for product integrity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If atmospheric air is allowed to enter the housing to compensate for bag volume reduction, then air pressure equilibrium is maintained, but the housing internal space must be airtight
Solution Approach 1:
The air pressure equalization function is extracted from the main product containment system by introducing a separate one-way air valve mechanism. This extracted function handles air pressure equilibrium independently, allowing the housing to be airtight for product protection while automatically managing pressure changes through the dedicated valve, thus reducing overall system complexity.
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 effectively reduces waste and mess by maintaining air pressure equilibrium, ensuring all contents can be expelled without sticking to the bottle walls and prolonging product shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
the one-way air valve allows ingress of atmospheric air into the housing internal space to compensate for the flexible bag reduced volume after said amount of fluid is dispensed
Implementation Method 2
a pressing force on sidewalls of the non-rigid housing deforms the non-rigid housing side walls inward toward the flexible bag, thereby causing an amount of fluid to be dispensed out of the flexible bag
Data Source
AI summary
A bag-in-bottle type of a squeeze dispenser comprising a housing, a cap, a flexible bag for containing fluid, and means to equilibrate atmospheric air pressure with air pressure inside the housing is disclosed. Said means include a closable air channel. The closable air channel, and the cap, may each be in an open or a closed position. When the cap is in an open position, the closable air channel is in a closed position, thus substantially locking the air inside the housing in place and allowing for fluid to be dispensed from the flexible bag upon application of pressing force on the sidewalls of the housing. When the cap is in a closed position, the closable air channel is in an open position, allowing for a flow of atmospheric air into, and out of, the dispenser housing and thereby equilibrating the air pressure inside the housing with air pressure of the atmospheric air.