Unitary Elastomeric Pump Body for Leak-Free Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid dispensers for cleaning and skin care products face challenges in achieving leak-free, reliable, and economical operation, particularly for volatile products, due to complex designs and multiple components that are difficult to manufacture and assemble, and prone to contamination and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A disposable pump with a unitary pump body and axially compressible spring that collapses elastically or flexes to reduce volume, providing a restoring force to return to its initial condition, eliminating the need for sliding seals and integrating valves within the spring, thus simplifying the design and reducing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex pump design with multiple components is used to achieve leak-free operation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (pumping, sealing, valve operation, spring mechanism) into a single unitary pump body structure. The elastomeric material provides both structural integrity and sealing functionality, eliminating the need for separate sealing components and reducing the overall number of parts while maintaining leak-free operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The unitary elastomeric pump body performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the pump chamber, provides sealing surfaces, houses the spring mechanism, and creates the valve openings. This multi-functional design reduces component count while ensuring reliable leak-free dispensing.
2Reliability
If a pump with multiple components is used to achieve reliable dispensing, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple components into a single injection-molded elastomeric pump body, eliminating the need for assembly of multiple parts. The unitary structure is manufactured in one piece through injection molding, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring consistent quality and reliable dispensing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical assembly of multiple pump components with a single elastomeric injection molding process. This substitution of manufacturing methodology simplifies production, reduces assembly steps, and maintains reliable dispensing through the inherent flexibility and sealability of the elastomeric material.
3Reliability
If a pump with sliding seals is used to control fluid flow, then reliability is improved, but susceptibility to contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates sliding seals and traditional valve mechanisms from the pump design. Instead, fluid flow control is achieved through valve openings in the elastomeric body that open and close based on pressure differential, removing the contamination-prone sliding seal interface while maintaining reliable fluid flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric pump body uses its own material properties to create sealing and flow control. The pressure differential automatically opens and closes valve openings in the elastomeric wall without requiring separate sealing components, making the system self-regulating and resistant to contamination.
4Ease of operation
If a disposable pump is used to maintain hygiene, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single injection-molded elastomeric pump body that can be manufactured as a disposable unit. The unitary structure reduces tooling complexity and assembly requirements, making the disposable pump more economical to produce while maintaining hygiene through single-use disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric pump body is designed as a disposable component that can be economically manufactured through injection molding. The simplicity of the unitary design reduces per-unit production costs, making the disposable approach feasible for maintaining hygiene in fluid dispensing applications.
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 provides a reliable, drip-free, and economical pump that is simple to produce, capable of dispensing a variety of fluids without leakage, while maintaining hygiene and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an axially compressible spring, arranged to at least partially support the pump body during its collapse whereby axial compression of the spring generates a restoring force, at least partially biasing the pump chamber to its initial condition
Implementation Method 2
the pump chamber has reduced in volume by changing its shape either elastically or by flexing or both
Data Source
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AI summary
A pump (300) for dispensing a fluid product from a product container (200), comprises a unitary pump body (500) defining an axis and comprising a pump chamber (510), a pump inlet (502) and a pump outlet (504). The pump chamber (510) is collapsible over an axially directed pumping stroke from an initial condition to a collapsed condition and is biased to return to its initial condition in a return stroke. An axially compressible spring (400) is arranged to at least partially support the pump body (500) during its collapse.