Dispensing Spout Slide Geometry for Controlled Pill Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dispensers, such as automated pill counting machines, suffer from high product loss as pills fall from the dispenser output and bounce out of the collection tray due to a large vertical distance and unpredictable free fall trajectory.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing spout that reduces the free fall height and changes the trajectory of dispensed products by incorporating a body tube and a slide portion, which slows down the products and directs them to fall into a collecting tray with controlled velocity, minimizing the likelihood of bouncing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If products are dispensed directly from the dispenser output opening, then the dispensing mechanism is simple, but products fall at high velocity and bounce out of the collection tray causing product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing spout acts as an intermediary component between the dispenser output opening and the collection tray. It includes a body tube that receives products from the dispenser and a slide portion that controls their descent, reducing velocity before they enter the tray. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by preventing product loss through controlled delivery while adding only minimal complexity to the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing spout changes the physical parameters of product delivery by reducing velocity and controlling trajectory. The slide portion with its specific slope and surface characteristics modifies the motion parameters of products as they descend from the dispenser to the tray, transforming high-velocity direct drops into controlled, lower-velocity guided descent, thereby preventing bouncing and product loss.
2Loss of substance
If the vertical distance between dispenser output and collection tray is large, then the dispenser design is flexible, but products have high free fall height causing them to bounce out of the tray
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing spout serves as a mediator that bridges the gap between the dispenser output and collection tray. By incorporating a slide portion with controlled slope, it manages the vertical distance effectively, reducing the free-fall height impact while maintaining design flexibility. The spout structure allows the vertical distance to remain substantial while controlling product velocity through the slide mechanism.
3Productivity
If products are allowed to free fall directly into the collection tray, then the dispensing system is simple, but the free fall trajectory is unpredictable causing product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing spout with its body tube and slide portion acts as an intermediary that guides products from the dispenser output to the collection tray along a controlled path. This eliminates unpredictable free-fall trajectories by providing a structured descent path, thereby improving dispensing efficiency and preventing product loss simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide portion modifies the trajectory parameters of products during descent. By controlling the slope and surface characteristics of the slide portion, the system transforms unpredictable free-fall motion into controlled, predictable product movement, ensuring products enter the tray at the correct location and velocity, thus eliminating product loss.
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 dispensing spout effectively reduces product loss by ensuring pills fall at a lower velocity and in a predictable manner, thereby minimizing the chance of pills bouncing out of the tray.
Implementation Method 1
The slide portion may slope away from the open dispensing end of the body tube to a distal slide end. The slide portion may further comprise a slide surface sloping away from the open dispensing end of the body tube between the side walls.
Implementation Method 2
the dispensing spout is configured to reduce the speed of products being dispensed, change the free fall trajectory of dispensed products, and/or reduce the free fall height of dispensed products
Implementation Method 3
the dispensing spout is configured to reduce the speed of products being dispensed, change the free fall trajectory of dispensed products, and/or reduce the free fall height of dispensed products
Data Source
AI summary
An example dispensing spout for solid items includes a first body tube portion and a second body tube portion. The first body tube portion may comprise a slide portion. The second body tube portion may comprise a connection portion for connecting the dispensing spout onto a dispenser. The slide portion may comprise a slide surface extending from an open dispensing end to a distal slide end. Solid items dispensed by the dispenser may pass through the body tube before sliding down the slide portion. The solid items fall off of the distal slide end, for example, into a collecting tray.