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Expert in Aerosol Dispensers, Atomizers, Pumps, Closures, Consumer Products
Available for your Consulting and Expert Witness Needs
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Summary of Expertise:
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Listed with other top experts in: |
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Expert has 40 years of experience with three types of atomizers. The first is with vertical piston type finger atomizers using displacement of a compression chamber to deliver liquid from a container. The second is with vertical piston type finger atomizers using a displacement chamber in combination with a regulating valve to release liquid at a specific pressure. The third atomizer is with hand-held horizontal trigger sprayers using displacement of a compression chamber for delivery of a product in spray form. Expert's focus on atomizers has been with consumer type units, primarily constructed of plastic, designed for specific functional requirements, and capable of being assembled of high-speed, high-volume equipment. As a Product Engineer for an atomizer manufacturer, Expert was responsible for the production of component parts as well as unit assembly on automatic equipment. He has also worked as a Research and Development Project Engineer, where he designed new atomizers for household and personal care products such as window cleaners, surface cleaners, mouthwash, eye sprays, and nasal sprays.
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Expert's primary focus has been the design of mechanical and pressurized units to atomize liquid. His design projects included evaluating pressurizing systems to power the spray units, product characteristics, the mechanical break up mechanisms, point-of-contact requirements, and manufacturability. All these factors determine the total unit configuration and the basis for the design required to deliver a liquid spray. To maintain an understanding of the atomizer state of the art and market direction, Expert studies units manufactured worldwide to gain insight into design and manufacturing process.
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One of Expert's strongest abilities involves taking an idea from concept to production. For a system to meet overall package requirements for a consumer product, he evaluates it from two perspectives. The first is profitability for the manufacturer, and second is consumer satisfaction. Before, during, and at the end of the process, these factors are balanced to provide the desired results. Preliminary design concepts, process estimates, production review, modeling, trial parts, functional testing, compatibility, and consumer tests all play a part in the process to provide a finished good that meets the market requirements. Expert prefers to use management by objectives on projects to track progress and provide communication. Expert has authored design and development manuals for two of the world's largest dispensing systems manufacturers. This includes designing test and gauging equipment used in these methods, as well as determining the system standards. Expert was one of the original members of the ASTM subcommittee for establishing standards for pumps and safety closures.
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In general, Expert considers himself to be a developer of designs and concepts rather than strictly an inventor. His ability to generate alternate ideas and options for a given design and then applying those to production methods gives Expert an all-around understanding of the total product. He has completed designs on a wide range of dispensers, including standard sprayers, lotion pumps, fine mist sprayers, safety caps, dispensing closures, trigger pumps, squeeze bottles, pressurized aerosols, aerosol valves, overcaps, spray through overcaps, and aerosol attachments. This also includes molds, assembly devices, and gages for the construction and assembly of dispensing systems. Expert is proficient with CAD, using both Computer Vision Personal Designer Rev.6 and AutoCAD 12. Expert has approximately 50 patents covering many of the above and numerous designs that are not patented.
In his management of research and development groups, Expert became an expert in all forms of delivery devices, covering products from liquid to gels. Self-leveling and nonself-leveling products require different methods of dispensing. He has a thorough understanding of product containment and control of viscous products such as gels and paste for consumer products and their affects on dispensing systems.
Due to the complexity of dispenser designs, Expert maintains that it is very difficult to identify and correct design and functional flaws. This requires a systematic evaluation of the package, which in affect becomes an autopsy of the unit. From superficial observation to microscopic examination of each component part, the process can be very detailed and complicated. Expert understands stress and fracture points generated by design, processing, assembly, and product compatibility.
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Expert has seven patents for finger pumps and several more pending. His focus has been on pressure regulating fine mist systems but also covers lotion, trigger, and standard sprayers. He has been responsible for product and customer applications of all types of mechanical dispensing units.
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Expert's experience in dispensing devices covers aerosols, pumps, and closures. A wide range of options give each a specific advantage depending on point-of-application requirements. Due to the relative design and construction of each of these systems, they can be altered to modify their form of delivery. Expert has become adept in evaluating the design and construction of these systems and their variations. Many of his assignments have been to critique designs from inventors, or other companies, for the purpose of purchasing or business acquisition.
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Expert maintains that nozzle use on dispensers is relatively limited but has a large application in aerosol packaging. He has worked on applications and research to improve extension tubes and basic nozzles for both pump and aerosols. He believes that trigger sprayers are more reliant on nozzle designs than are other dispensing systems due to their range of product application. Expert has completed numerous designs and applications of nozzles on consumer type systems requiring delivery of a liquid in a specific manner. He has been involved in the design and construction of multi-position nozzles, multi-function nozzles, foaming devices, and tamper evident features for trigger pumps. Expert has also conducted research in areas of manufacturing processes to provide new configurations of extruded nozzles.
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Expert's experience with package closures covers continuous threaded plastic closures, metal closures, crimp-on ferrules, snap-on closures, plugs, ultrasonic welded closures, safety caps, and integral devices. Most of the consumer products he has been involved with require some type of closure to contain the product and affix a delivery system to the package. His strongest points are systems closures where more than one function is provided by the closure device.
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Over the last 40 years of product development, Expert has been involved with five major trigger pump programs and holds approximately six patents for their construction or modification. Other projects include cost reductions, production-related problems, functional enhancements, aesthetics, and ergonomics.
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Most of Expert's 40 years of design experience has centered on plastic parts and assemblies, particularly the design of closures for use with finger pumps, trigger sprayers, threaded bottles, and dispensing packages. This has included unit cavity molds and production equipment. Expert has been involved in quality procedures and methods for the production of plastic closures. Additionally, Expert is skilled in identifying and configuring several paths a part or assembly design can take based on identified parameters of process and function. Multi-part assemblies require an understanding of part and system features such as undercuts, snap fits, sliding fits, seals, ribs, etc. These design features affect the assembly function as well as individual part characteristics. Expert has extensive experience in the balance of design between component and assembly. Most of the parts Expert has worked on are smaller than a bar of soap, many the size of a pencil eraser. The design of small parts has a different scale of thinking in that their features require a more critical configuration due limited space and movement. Interaction with other parts is then affected by the reduction of cross-sectional area and the working space available. Expert has worked on consumer, beverage, household, medical, and institutional applications. He is proficient in the design of extruded or injection molded parts. The primary materials of construction that Expert has worked with include acetals, nylons, polypropylene, polyethylene, anamides, and other related injection materials. He applies good manufacturing practices to parts designs for both molding and high-speed assembly.
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Expert's experience with sealing has forced Expert to focus on secondary parts in addition to the package and closure means. The sealing of a container is the primary function of all dispensing devices. Sealing methods that Expert has used in this type of project include liners, gaskets, sonic welding, adhesives, pressure-sensitive fillers, and plugs.
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As an inventor of spraying devices, Expert's goal is to provide a design with the ability to deliver a product to a specific point of contact in a controlled form. This objective requires special mechanical break-up nozzles to convert a pressurized product into small particles. Expert has designed numerous nozzles for use on aerosol, finger pumps, and trigger sprayers and has recently been granted a US Patent on a new concept for providing improved product flow through a nozzle device.
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Approximately one third of Expert's research time has been spent on the design, development, and production of sprayers to include standard type finger sprayers, dispensing pumps, and trigger sprayers. He has also been instrumental in the planning, execution, and maintenance of production line requirements.
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Show Only Primary Areas of Expert Consulting
Secondary Expertise
aerosol, aerosol behavior, aerosol can, aerosol design, aerosol industry, aesthetics, business acquisition, computer-aided design and drafting, consumer product packaging, convergent-divergent nozzle, dispensing package, household product, liquid flow, liquid flow through a nozzle, nozzle flow, nozzle pressure drop, patentability evaluation, plastic bottle leak testing, plastic package leak testing, pressure atomizer
Basic Expertise
aerosol dynamics, aerosol propellant, aerosol technology, consumer product safety, diffuser, drug container, failure analysis, patent, plastic bottle, plastic package, syringe, tamper-evident closure, tamperproof cap | | |
| Year |
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Degree |
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Subject |
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Institution |
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1972
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AA
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Liberal Arts/Engineering
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San Bernadino College
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| Years |
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Employer |
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Title |
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Responsibilities |
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2001 to
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(Undisclosed)
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President
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Consulting for plastic products; concept development, design, engineering, failure analyis, development, proto typing, production support.
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1992 to 1996
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Seaquist-Perfect
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Director of Advanced Technology
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Developing new products and processes for the consumer, household, personal care dispensing industry.
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1987 to 1992
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Calmar
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Vice President of Research and Development
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Directing the design and production start-up on new porducts.
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1976 to 1987
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Seaquist Valve
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Technical Director, Manager, Development Engineer, Pump Products
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Designing and developing new dispensing closure, aerosol and pump products.
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1968 to 1976
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Calmar
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Project Engineer
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Responsible for the design, development and product of fine mist sprayers.
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Associations/Societies
Expert is a past memeber of the ASTM and SPE.
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Publications and Patents Summary
Expert has been awarded 50 U.S. patents for dispensing closures, aerosols, pumps, consumer products, safety devices, plastic items.
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Selected Publications and Publishers
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- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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| Selected Consulting Examples: |
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Expert has evaluated the assembly process to determine the effect on finished goods.
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He has reviewed mold construction to ensure on time delivery and quality structure.
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Expert has designed and engineered the development and parts for plastic products.
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He has reviewed production mold design and dimensions to determine the effect on product function.
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Recent Client Requests:
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Expert in aerosols for consulting on fluid atomization & nozzle design.
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Aerosol valve expert for consulting on aerosol dispenser system.
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Expert for consulting on Atomizer design for air freshener.
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Expert consulting on the development of an Aerosol - Bag on valve.
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Expert in pump spray nozzle design for consulting on household product and mold design.
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Expert in oil sprayer for consulting on the tympanic membrane (ear-drum).
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Expert in packaged goods design and manufacturing for consulting on understanding trigger spray type dispensers.
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Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding your expert consulting needs.
Expert is available for consulting to corporate, legal and government clients.
Remember, your initial screening call to speak with
Expert is free.
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Recent Litigation Client Requests:
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Expert for consulting on plastic cap safety products liability litigation case.
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Aerosol bottle expert needed for consulting regarding a sunscreen bottle failure.
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Food processing equipment expert for consulting on silicon adapter seal.
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Expert in consumer product plastic bottle design/ spray mechanism on P&G Febreze bottle design litigation.
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Intellectual property expert for consulting on a legal matter.
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Click the green button above to contact
Expert for a free initial screening call regarding expert testimony,
litigation consulting and support, forensic services, or any related expert witness services.
A few litigation needs include product liability, personal injury, economic loss, intellectual property
(patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright), and insurance matters. Remember, your initial screening
call to speak with
Expert is free.
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| International Experience: |
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| Years |
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Country / Region |
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Summary |
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1979 to 1987
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France
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Coordination of product design
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1979 to 1987
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Germany
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Design of new dispensing pump for both U.S. and Europe.
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1987 to 1992
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Germany
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Coordinate product development between Europe and U.S.
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2000 to 2007
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England
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Development project.
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2005 to
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China
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Product development and sourcing. Hire staff and train.
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| Additional Skills and Services: |
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Training/Seminars
Expert wrote course outline and taught -
1. Plastics Processes
2. Blue Print Reading For Plastics
for McHenry County College
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Supplier and Vendor Location and Selection Expert has experience locating vendors of:
* Injection plastics mold design
* Build assembly machines
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Other Skills and Services
Expert has been involved in mold design and construction for development and production of plastic parts as well as assembly equipment for development and production of plastic assemblies.
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Education
