Blade Dispenser With Spring-Loaded Pusher and Return Compartment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blade dispensers do not provide a cost-effective design for quickly and safely dispensing unshelled blades with minimal effort and for safe and easy disposal of used blades.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser design featuring a housing with a slot and opening, a storage chamber, tracking elements, a blade pusher biased by a spring, and a closure element for safe dispensing and storage of blades, allowing for one-handed operation and easy insertion of used blades into a return compartment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional blade dispenser design is used, then the structure is simple, but the dispensing operation requires two hands and is not safe for unshelled blades
Solution Approach 1:
The blade pusher is spring-biased to automatically move forward and push blades toward the dispensing slot without requiring user intervention. The system serves itself by using the spring's stored energy to perform the pushing action, enabling one-handed operation while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser is divided into functional segments: a housing, a blade pusher mechanism, tracking elements, and a dispensing slot. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall operation while maintaining safety through dedicated safety features
2Ease of operation
If no return storage compartment is provided, then the device is simpler, but used blades cannot be safely and easily disposed of
Solution Approach 1:
The return storage compartment is integrated into the housing structure, merging the disposal function with the existing dispenser body. This combination allows used blades to be disposed of safely within the same device structure without adding separate standalone components
Solution Approach 2:
The return storage compartment is nested within the housing, with the closure element forming an integrated part of the overall structure. The tracking elements extend into the return storage compartment, creating a nested arrangement where components are housed within one another to optimize space
3Productivity
If unshelled blades are dispensed without a pusher mechanism, then the device is simpler, but the dispensing speed and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased pusher provides periodic forward motion to advance blades toward the dispensing slot. Each blade is pushed in a rhythmic sequence as users remove blades from the slot, maintaining continuous forward pressure and enabling rapid dispensing through periodic mechanical action
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is pre-loaded with stored energy before operation begins. This preliminary action of spring compression allows the pusher to immediately begin pushing blades as soon as a blade is removed from the slot, eliminating delays and maintaining high dispensing speed without requiring complex active control mechanisms
4Ease of operation
If tracking elements do not extend beyond the housing, then the structure is more compact, but used blades cannot be properly arranged in the return storage compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking elements serve multiple functions: they guide blades during dispensing through the housing and continue into the return storage compartment to arrange used blades. This multi-functionality allows a single structural feature to perform both dispensing guidance and disposal arrangement without requiring separate mechanisms
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
Enables quick, efficient, and safe dispensing of unshelled blades with minimal effort and safe disposal of used blades, ensuring user safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a spring located within the housing engaging the blade pusher and the housing and biasing the pusher toward the dispensing slot
Data Source
AI summary
A blade dispenser for housing a plurality of unshelled blades, dispensing the blades one at a time therefrom and receiving used blades and storing the used blades therein. The dispenser includes a housing that has ribs forming a track, a dispensing slot at a first end of the housing, a pusher and a spring that aid in dispensing blades through the slot art the first end of the housing and a closure element that includes a slot connected to a second end of the housing to receive used blades.