Container for dosing a flowable solid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for flowable solids, such as powders and granules, face challenges in accurately dispensing consistent doses without messiness or the need for scoops, and on-the-go use is hindered by bulk container size and single-use packet waste.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a body with a storage volume, dosing chamber, and outlet passage, sealed by a rotatable lid and plunger mechanism that allows for consistent dose dispensing when inverted, maintaining internal cleanliness and enabling on-the-go use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a bulk container is used to store flowable solids, then storage capacity is improved, but portability and on-the-go use are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bulk container is segmented into multiple individual dosing chambers, each capable of holding a single dose. This allows the container to maintain bulk storage capacity while enabling portable, on-the-go use by dispensing one dose at a time without requiring the user to carry or handle multiple separate containers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a scoop is used to dispense flowable solids, then dosing flexibility is improved, but messiness and accuracy are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing chamber is designed to automatically dispense the correct dose amount through a controlled opening mechanism. The chamber self-regulates the dispensing process, eliminating the need for manual scooping and leveling operations that cause messiness and dosing inaccuracies.
3Measurement precision
If single-use packets are used for on-the-go dosing, then dosing accuracy is improved, but waste generation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding entire single-use packets after one dose, the container allows users to retain the bulk container with remaining doses. The system recovers and preserves the unused flowable solids in sealed dosing chambers, eliminating waste while maintaining dosing accuracy through controlled dispensing mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If the container is opened for dispensing, then dose dispensing is improved, but internal contamination is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing mechanism extracts and dispenses the dose through a controlled opening that minimizes exposure of the internal flowable solids to external contaminants. The opening is strategically positioned and sized to allow dose dispensing while limiting the risk of contamination to the remaining contents.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed to a container for dispensing equal doses of a flowable solid. The container may include a body defining an interior volume including a storage volume, an outlet passage, and a dosing chamber in communication with the storage volume and the outlet passage. The container may include a closure that has a lid and a plunger. The lid may be rotatably coupled to the body such that it rotates about a first axis from a closed position to an open position. The plunger may be rotatably coupled to the lid and configured to seal the dosing chamber. The container may be configured to dispense a dose of the flowable solid when the plunger is in the unsealed position and the container is at least partially inverted, and each dose may have an equal volume.