Vacuum Capped Fluid Dispensing Device for Bubble-Free Spray
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid product dispensing devices face issues such as contamination risk, spray variability, hydraulic blocking, and manufacturing tolerance limitations due to air bubbles in the tank, which affect reproducibility and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A method of filling and capping the device under vacuum conditions, ensuring minimal residual air between the fluid product and the cap, using a dispensing head with a needle that pierces a plug to distribute the product, and a capping process that maintains a vacuum seal without direct cap contact with the product, reducing air bubble formation and enhancing reproducibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the reservoir is filled and capped at atmospheric pressure, then the manufacturing process is simple, but air bubbles remain in the reservoir causing contamination risk and spray variability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vacuum environment (inert atmosphere principle) during the filling and capping operations. The reservoir is placed in a vacuum chamber where air is removed before filling, ensuring that no air bubbles are trapped in the fluid product. The capping operation is also performed under vacuum, maintaining the air-free environment throughout the manufacturing process, thereby eliminating spray variability and contamination risks associated with air bubbles.
2Reliability
If the cap is pushed into contact with the fluid product during capping, then the sealing is improved, but the risk of contamination and hydraulic blockage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the capping operation in advance under vacuum conditions, creating a seal before the reservoir is subjected to atmospheric pressure or usage. The cap is positioned and sealed while the reservoir is still in the vacuum chamber, preventing any potential contamination from occurring during subsequent handling or storage, while still achieving adequate sealing without direct contact that would cause hydraulic blockage.
3Ease of manufacture
If air bubbles are present in the reservoir, then the device can be manufactured simply, but hydraulic blockage and compressibility issues occur during actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vacuum environment during filling and capping to eliminate air bubbles from the reservoir. By performing operations in this inert environment, the fluid product is filled without entrained air, and the cap is sealed in the absence of atmospheric gases, ensuring complete removal of air bubbles that would otherwise cause compressibility and hydraulic blockage issues during device actuation.
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
This approach minimizes contamination, improves spray reproducibility, reduces hydraulic blockage risks, and allows better tolerance compensation, while simplifying manufacturing and assembly by eliminating air bubbles and maintaining product integrity.
Implementation Method 1
placing said filled tank in a capping unit provided with a vacuum chamber, creating a vacuum in said vacuum chamber
Implementation Method 2
said step of filling an empty tank in a filling unit is also carried out under vacuum
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~8
AI summary
Device for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a body (1), a reservoir (10) containing one or two doses of a fluid product, said reservoir (10) comprising a plug (12) which closes off said reservoir (10) in a sealed manner before actuation, a dispensing head (20) provided with a dispensing orifice (21), and dispensing means for dispensing at least some of said fluid product through said dispensing orifice (21) during an actuation, said device comprising a needle (13) of which the tip (14) is adapted to pierce said plug (12) during the actuation, said reservoir (10) being filled with said fluid product and plugged under vacuum with said plug (12) such that the residual air volume present in said reservoir (10) between said fluid product and said plug (12) is substantially zero.