Solid Product Dispenser Venturi Mixing for Foam-Free Concentration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Prior dispensers face challenges in maintaining solution concentration and preventing foaming, which affects the concentration of the use solution when dispensing solid products, often requiring complex control of water flow and leading to inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser design featuring a manifold system with funnel-shaped outlets and a venturi effect to concurrently mix diluent and concentrated solution, ensuring precise concentration and minimizing foaming, while a product holder with specific shapes locks out incorrect products to ensure correct usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electronics are used to control water inlet valves to maintain solution concentration, then concentration control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic control systems with a purely mechanical fluid dynamics solution. The venturi effect creates a pressure differential that automatically regulates diluent flow rate based on concentrated solution flow, eliminating the need for electronic sensors, valves, and control circuits while maintaining precise concentration control
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the flow of concentrated solution itself to drive the diluent flow through the venturi effect. The flowing concentrated solution creates the pressure differential that pulls diluent through the system, making the system self-regulating without external electronic control
2Quantity of substance
If additional diluent is added to the use solution in prior art dispensers, then dilution is achieved, but foaming occurs that interferes with spray and affects concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mixing process from the spray chamber and relocates it to occur outside the dispenser at the outlet. By using the venturi effect to draw diluent and mix with concentrated solution after exit, the system eliminates foaming that would otherwise occur inside the spray chamber and interfere with operation
Solution Approach 2:
The venturi structure acts as an intermediary device that facilitates controlled diluent addition and mixing. The venturi's geometry creates a controlled pressure differential that draws diluent in a manner that prevents foaming, serving as a mechanical mediator between the concentrated solution and diluent
3Productivity
If a smaller diameter diluent outlet is used to increase diluent flow rate, then mixing efficiency is improved, but the venturi effect must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the diluent outlet diameter as a specific geometric parameter of the venturi structure. By carefully selecting and maintaining this dimension, the system achieves the desired diluent flow rate and venturi effect while the manufacturing process controls the precision within acceptable tolerances
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 system effectively maintains solution concentration, reduces foaming, and ensures the correct product is used by utilizing a venturi effect for efficient mixing and a product holder with shape-specific locking mechanism, enhancing operational efficiency and product accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The diluent flowing through the diluent outlet at a relatively fast rate creates a venturi effect to draw the concentrated solution out of the concentrated solution outlet
Implementation Method 2
sprays the diluent onto the bottom surface of the solid product to create a concentrated solution
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A solid product dispenser includes a housing and a product holder. The housing includes a concentrated solution outlet, a diluent outlet, and an outlet tube in which concentrated solution from the concentrated solution outlet and diluent from the diluent outlet are mixed to form a use solution. Proximate the housing and the product holder is an overflow outlet from which a vacuum breaker is at least 3.50 inches (0,0762m).