Viscous Construction Tube Cap and Strap Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industry standard cylindrical disposable cartridges with nozzles for viscous construction materials suffer from rapid solvent evaporation and leakage issues, leading to clogging and waste, as existing nozzle covers fail to provide an effective seal, allowing air to enter and escape, causing the material to dry out and become unusable within a short time.
Innovation Solution
A viscous construction material tube cap and strapping apparatus that includes a conically shaped cap with apertures for an elastic strap, providing a strong seal around the nozzle and base, using a gasket-type seal and elastic strap to prevent air from entering and escaping, ensuring the material remains usable for longer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If existing nozzle covers are used to cover the nozzle after dispensing, then the nozzle is protected from damage, but air can enter and escape through the cover, causing rapid solvent evaporation and material drying out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible balloon member that expands to conform to the interior surface of the nozzle cover, creating an airtight seal. This flexible film structure prevents air from entering through the cover while maintaining the protective function, thereby stopping solvent evaporation and material drying out.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon member acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the viscous construction material. By introducing this intermediate sealing component, the patent blocks the harmful air-material interaction that causes solvent evaporation, while still allowing the nozzle cover to perform its protective function.
2Ease of operation
If the nozzle is left open after dispensing, then the material can be easily accessed for the next use, but solvent evaporates rapidly and material dries out, becoming unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary protection by automatically sealing the nozzle with a balloon member immediately after dispensing. This preliminary sealing action prevents solvent evaporation before it can occur, maintaining material usability while the nozzle remains easily accessible for future use.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a sealed environment with the balloon member, the patent effectively creates an inert atmosphere that prevents air contact with the viscous construction material. This inert environment stops solvent evaporation and material drying, preserving the material in its usable state.
3Reliability
If a tight seal is created at the nozzle to prevent air entry, then solvent evaporation is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon member is designed to be self-sealing through simple user interaction. When the user presses the plunger, the balloon automatically expands and seals the nozzle without requiring additional mechanisms or complex operations. This self-service approach achieves effective sealing while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon member transitions from a collapsed state during dispensing to an expanded sealed state after dispensing. This dynamic behavior allows the same component to facilitate easy material access during use and provide automatic sealing afterward, reducing structural complexity while maintaining reliability.
4Device complexity
If standard cylindrical cartridges are used with rigid outer shells, then the structure is simple and durable, but solvent evaporation from the open ends causes material to thicken and clog the nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates inert atmospheres at both open ends of the cylindrical cartridge by using balloon members that seal the nozzle and base. These sealed environments prevent air contact with the viscous construction material, stopping solvent evaporation and preventing material thickening and nozzle clogging, while maintaining the simple rigid cartridge structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible balloon members are used to seal both the nozzle and base of the rigid cylindrical cartridge. These thin film structures create effective seals at the open ends without requiring modification to the simple rigid cartridge body, preventing solvent evaporation while maintaining structural simplicity.
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 prevents solvent loss and air leakage, maintaining the viscosity and usability of the viscous construction material by creating an airtight seal at both the nozzle and base, reducing waste and inconvenience caused by clogging and leakage.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic strap (106) connecting the cap (104) to the base (108)
Implementation Method 2
providing a strong seal around the nozzle and base, using a gasket-type seal to prevent air from entering and escaping
Data Source
AI summary
A viscous construction material tube cap and strapping apparatus includes an elastic strap. A construction material tube cap has dimension chosen to fit over a nozzle of a construction material tube, where the construction material tube cap defines a plurality of apertures having dimensions for passing the elastic strap. A base is dimensioned to fit over a bottom of the construction material tube. The base includes an air seal that substantially prevents air from entering into the bottom of the tube of construction material. The base also includes a feature on the outer surface of the base that is dimensioned to secure the elastic strap. The elastic strap has a length and an elasticity so that when inserted into the plurality of apertures in the construction material tube cap and into the feature on an outer surface of the base, the elastic strap forces the construction material tube cap down on the nozzle of the construction material tube when the elastic strap is connected to the base and the cap is fit over the nozzle of the construction material tube and the base is fit over the bottom of the construction material tube, thereby tightly sealing the nozzle.