Blister Sheet Loading Apparatus with Deflector Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
The natural resilience of blister sheets made from plastics materials causes medication doses to bounce out of cavities when first loaded, and there is a risk of damage upon impact with already-loaded doses during the loading process, especially when using gravity to transfer the doses.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with axially parallel cylindrical bores in a horizontal plate deflects descending doses laterally towards the side wall of the blister cavity, reducing the fall height and momentum to prevent bouncing and minimize impact damage, using deflectors within the bores to control the descent and impact point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If doses are transferred using gravity from storage containers to blister cavities, then the loading process is simple and efficient, but doses bounce out of cavities and may damage already-loaded doses
Solution Approach 1:
A deflector plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the storage container and the blister cavity. The deflector plate intercepts the gravitationally-falling doses and redirects them at an angle into the cavity, preventing direct vertical impact that causes bouncing while maintaining the simplicity of gravity-based transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful vertical impact force into a beneficial angled entry path. By using the deflector plate to redirect doses, the natural gravitational force is harnessed to achieve both transfer efficiency and gentle placement, turning the potential harm of gravity into a beneficial driving force
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the drop distance is reduced to minimize impact damage, then dose safety improves, but the apparatus becomes more complex and loading efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector plate serves as a simple intermediary that extends the effective drop distance without requiring complex mechanical structures. It allows doses to travel a longer path at a reduced effective impact velocity, minimizing damage risk while maintaining apparatus simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The deflector plate introduces a horizontal dimension to the dose transfer path. Instead of simply reducing vertical drop distance, the plate redirects doses laterally, creating an angled trajectory that reduces impact force while maintaining a compact vertical footprint
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 effectively reduces the risk of doses bouncing out and minimizes damage during loading by controlling the descent and impact, ensuring accurate and safe placement of medication into blister cavities.
Implementation Method 1
relying on gravity to transfer a dose from a selected storage container to the blister cavity
Implementation Method 2
The fall height and the deflectors are configured with respect to the objects such that a falling object is deflected by the respective deflector laterally towards a side-wall of the selected blister such that it impacts the side wall
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
Figure 6
AI summary
Apparatus for loading medication doses (4') into a cavity (15') of a blister sheet (12') made from a resilient plastics material, is provided with a number of horizontally- arranged containers one of which is shown at (6'). Each container can be operated to release a solid medication dose (4') into a cavity (15') of a selected blister. The blister sheet to have its cavities loaded with medication doses is supported horizontally on a table spaced beneath the level at which the containers (6') are located. A thick horizontal plate (1) is disposed between the level of the containers and the level of the table, and an array of inclined and axially-parallel bores (2') are formed through the plate. The upper ends of the bore associated with each blister cavity can be located beneath the container which is to deliver a dose to the cavity so that a released dose travels down the bore and impacts against one side of the bore which acts to deflect the dose and thus reduce its vertical momentum. The dose is released from the lower end of the bore and impacts against the inside upper, wall of the cavity. The risk of damage by impact of released doses with one another in the cavity is reduced and the risk of a dose bouncing back out of the cavity through impacting on its resilient floor is avoided.