Press-in Bottle Adapter With Valve And Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle adapters allow children to bypass or remove the adapter, leading to unsupervised ingestion of medications, resulting in overdoses due to leakage or deliberate removal, and fail to prevent access to the medicine.
Innovation Solution
A press-in bottle adapter with a valve at its distal end and a recessed upper flange, which includes a duck bill valve or dome-shaped valve that opens with a dispenser's insertion, and a locking mechanism for the cap to prevent accidental access or removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a press-in bottle adapter with central opening is used to allow syringe access, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because children can bypass or remove the adapter
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into multiple functional components: a valve mechanism (duck bill or dome-shaped) that segments the central opening into a protected state and an accessible state, and a separate locking mechanism with resilient arms that segments the security function from the access function. This allows the adapter to provide both syringe access and child-proof protection simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve acts as an intermediary between the central opening and the bottle contents. It mediates access by remaining closed to prevent unauthorized access (including inversion leakage) while opening selectively when a dispenser is correctly inserted. The locking mechanism serves as another intermediary, mediating between the adapter and bottle neck to prevent removal while allowing proper installation.
2Ease of operation
If the bottle can be inverted or overturned, then ease of operation is improved for administration, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to leakage from the central opening
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is positioned and oriented to preemptively counteract the harmful effect of inversion. The duck bill valve's asymmetric geometry or the dome-shaped valve's orientation creates a preliminary barrier that prevents leakage before inversion can occur, while still allowing forward access for syringe insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve provides dynamic response to different operational states. It remains closed during normal storage and inversion to prevent leakage, then opens dynamically when a dispenser is inserted with the correct force and orientation, allowing medicine access only in the proper operational state.
3Ease of manufacture
If the adapter has an upper flange that sits atop the bottle neck edge, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates because children can pry the adapter out
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter structure is segmented into the main body with the upper flange for manufacturing simplicity, and a separate locking mechanism with resilient arms that provides anti-removal protection. This segmentation allows the easy-to-manufacture flange to remain while adding the security function through the locking arms that engage with the bottle neck.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism changes the mechanical parameters of the adapter-bottle interface. The resilient arms provide elastic engagement force that increases the force required for removal, transforming the interface from a simple press-fit that can be pried loose to a locked interface that resists removal while maintaining ease of initial installation.
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 adapter effectively prevents spillage and unauthorized access to the bottle's contents by ensuring the valve only opens with a dispenser's correct insertion and securely attaches to the bottle, reducing medication overdoses in children.
Implementation Method 1
a valve at its distal end... which includes a duck bill valve or dome-shaped valve that opens with a dispenser's insertion
Implementation Method 2
securely attaches to the bottle... locking mechanism for the cap to prevent accidental access or removal
Data Source
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AI summary
An adapter to be pressed into the neck of a bottle to receive a syringe for accessing the bottle contents by a syringe. The adapter has a distal end that extends into the bottle and a normally closed valve located at that distal end to prevent the contents from leaking out of the bottle if the bottle is inverted. An upper flange of the adapter seats against the top of the bottle and is recessed into the top of the bottle to prevent easy access to pry the adapter out of the bottle. A cap is also disclosed that is adapted to be pressed into the neck of a bottle. The cap has an upper lid that is hinged to a lower body to allow the upper hinge to move between a closed position sealing the bottle and an open position where the bottle is accessible by a syringe.