Capsule Inhaler Sliding Piercing Mechanism for Smooth Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry powder inhalers lack a mechanism for efficiently perforating and delivering a single-use or multi-use stick for inhaling dry powder, which affects the inhalation efficiency and user experience.
Innovation Solution
An inhaler design featuring a mouthpiece, housing, piercing portion, sliding portion, and stopper, with a spring mechanism to control the sliding portion's movement, creating an air inlet space and facilitating smooth airflow for inhalation of dry powder through a perforated capsule.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional dry powder inhaler is used, then the structure is simple, but the inhalation efficiency and user experience are poor due to lack of effective perforating and delivery mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic mechanism where the sliding portion moves relative to the housing to transition between a storage state and a delivery state. This dynamic structure allows the inhaler to efficiently deliver dry powder through controlled movement of the sliding portion, which exposes the piercing portion and creates airflow paths, thereby improving inhalation efficiency without requiring overly complex static structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The inhaler is divided into distinct functional segments: the housing containing the piercing portion, the sliding portion with mounting members, the mouthpiece with capsule, and the stopper. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently - the piercing portion penetrates the capsule, the sliding portion controls airflow and positioning, and the stopper limits movement - collectively improving inhalation efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
2Reliability
If a piercing mechanism is added to perforate the capsule, then the delivery effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing portion is pre-positioned within the housing, ready to penetrate the capsule as soon as the sliding portion is actuated. This preliminary positioning ensures reliable delivery effectiveness because the piercing action is immediately available and does not require additional activation steps or complex mechanisms during the actual delivery phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding portion, when moved by the user, automatically positions the piercing portion to penetrate the capsule and creates the necessary airflow paths. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for additional complex actuation systems while ensuring reliable capsule perforation and drug delivery.
3Ease of operation
If an air inlet space is created between the mouthpiece and sliding portion, then the airflow smoothness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air inlet space is dynamically created and controlled by the movement of the sliding portion. When the sliding portion moves to the delivery position, it naturally forms an air inlet space between itself and the mouthpiece, allowing smooth airflow without requiring additional fixed structures or complex airflow control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding portion serves multiple functions: it positions the mounting members to couple with the mouthpiece, creates the air inlet space for smooth airflow, and controls the overall delivery mechanism. This multi-functionality improves airflow smoothness while avoiding the need for separate dedicated components that would increase structural complexity.
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 design allows for efficient inhalation of dry powder by perforating the capsule, enhancing user experience with controlled airflow and inhalation resistance, ensuring effective delivery of the pharmacological agent.
Implementation Method 1
a spring of which an end is coupled to the sliding portion and the other end is coupled to the other end of the housing, wherein the spring may contract when the sliding portion is pressed and moves toward the other end of the housing, and when the sliding portion is not pressed, the spring may support the sliding portion to be positioned apart from the piercing portion toward the end of the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
An inhaler according to one embodiment comprises: a mouthpiece including a capsule containing functional materials; a housing having one end opened so that the mouthpiece is inserted therein; a piercing unit which is disposed inside the housing and which extends from the other end of the housing toward one end thereof; a sliding unit to which the mouthpiece is coupled and which slides inside the housing; and a stopper mounted on one side of the housing so as to limit the movement distance of the sliding unit, wherein an air inflow space can be ensured between the mouthpiece and the sliding unit.