Dispensing Apparatus Dose Counting and Container Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dose-dispensing apparatuses, such as pressurized metered dose inhalers, lack accurate dosage counting mechanisms that prevent incorrect counting or removal of the dispensing container, leading to potential over- or under-dosing and failure to detect when the container is empty, posing safety risks, especially for medicinal compounds.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing apparatus with a housing design that includes a body portion and a sleeve, featuring an aperture for the pressurized container with an interference fit to prevent removal and a biasing mechanism for proper seating, along with a dose counting mechanism that uses annular members and indexing to accurately track doses, ensuring correct counting and preventing tampering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a housing design with multiple components is used to envelop the container and prevent removal, then the container cannot be removed from the apparatus, but the number of housing components increases and disassembly/reassembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple housing components into a single integrated housing body that contains the container and counting mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps while maintaining the prevention of container removal through the integrated design of the housing aperture and retention means.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it contains the container, provides the aperture for actuation, incorporates the retention means to prevent removal, and houses the counting mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components.
2Measurement precision
If strict manufacturing tolerances are imposed to ensure accurate component location, then over-counting or under-counting is prevented, but manufacture becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing into modular components (housing body, removable mouthpiece, and interchangeable container) that can be manufactured separately with standard tolerances and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured more economically while maintaining overall assembly precision through design features like the aperture and retention means.
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 provides a reliable and tamper-resistant mechanism for accurately counting doses and preventing incorrect use or removal of the pressurized container, enhancing user safety and simplifying assembly while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the means for retaining said pressurised dispensing container in the body portion comprises an opening in the body portion dimensioned to receive a valve stem of said pressurised dispensing container as an interference fit
Implementation Method 2
the apparatus further comprises a biasing mechanism for urging, on insertion of said pressurised dispensing container into the sleeve, said pressurised dispensing container into positive engagement with the sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a dispensing apparatus for delivering metered doses of product from a pressurised dispensing container comprising:a housing comprising a body portion and a removable mouthpiece, the body portion containing a dose counting mechanism and a sleeve;the body portion comprising an aperture through which said pressurised dispensing container can pass to be received in the sleeve but through which the sleeve is unable to pass such that the sleeve is retained within the body portion;the sleeve being located in the body portion such that an upper end of said pressurised dispensing container when received in the sleeve is accessible to allow actuation of said pressurised dispensing container;the apparatus comprising means for retaining said pressurised dispensing container in the body portion.