Stepped Foam Pump Assembly for Consistent Liquid-Air Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dispensers fail to efficiently dispense soaps and similar fluids in foam form, leading to excessive liquid usage and runoff issues.
Innovation Solution
A pump mechanism utilizing a resilient flexible bellows member and a spring, formed by injection molding, which displaces both liquid and air to create a foam by passing through a foam generator or nozzle, allowing for efficient dispensing of a foam consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If liquid soap is dispensed in liquid form, then the dispenser structure is simple, but excessive liquid is used and runoff occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pump mechanism is segmented into multiple chambers (first inner chamber and second outer chamber) with different displacement volumes, allowing separate control of liquid and air mixing ratios to optimize foam quality and reduce waste
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state parameter from liquid to foam by controlling the mixing ratio of liquid soap and air through the stepped pump mechanism, thereby improving application efficiency and reducing runoff
2Device complexity
If a traditional single pump is used, then the device complexity is low, but foam quality and consistency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into two chambers with different displacement volumes, where the first chamber handles liquid intake and the second chamber mixes with air, ensuring consistent foam quality through controlled separation of functions
Solution Approach 2:
The first inner chamber is nested within the second outer chamber, with the piston moving axially to sequentially engage with both chambers, allowing compact design while maintaining reliable dual-chamber operation
3Device complexity
If liquid and air are mixed in a single chamber, then the device is simple, but foam consistency and volume control are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing process is segmented into two stages: first chamber for liquid intake and second chamber for air mixing, with each chamber having precisely controlled displacement volumes to ensure accurate foam-to-liquid ratios
Solution Approach 2:
The piston performs periodic reciprocating motion, sequentially drawing liquid in the first chamber, then mixing with air in the second chamber, creating consistent periodic foam dispensing with precise volume control
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 reduces liquid usage and prevents runoff by effectively producing and dispensing soap in a foam form, using a combination of a bellows member and spring to mix and dispense liquid and air, enhancing the efficiency and usability of soap dispensers.
Implementation Method 1
a pump mechanism utilizing a resilient flexible bellows member and a spring
Implementation Method 2
a pump mechanism utilizing a resilient flexible bellows member and a spring
Implementation Method 3
be atomized as by passing through a nozzle
Data Source
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AI summary
A pump assembly with a first pump to displace a first volume and a second pump to displace a second volume greater than the first volume. The first pump draws liquid from a reservoir and dispenses it to the second pump. The second pump draws in the discharge from the first pump and an additional volume of air such that the second pump discharges both liquid and air. The first pump preferably has a piston movable in a first inner chamber and the second pump has the same piston movable in a second outer chamber. The first and second chambers communicate together. In one version, a one-way valve provides flow outwardly only from the first chamber to the second chamber and the first pump discharges while the second pump draws in, and vice versa.