Drip Chamber Spike Assembly Grasping Reliefs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices with drip chambers and spike assemblies require significant material and manufacturing costs due to complex coupling methods and low handling practicality, necessitating a reduction in material usage and improvement in handling comfort.
Innovation Solution
The base part of the spike assembly is simplified to a hollow tang engaging with the drip chamber's end edge, and the drip chamber's end edge features a crown of integral reliefs for grasping, transferring handling to the drip chamber and reducing material requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a complex base part structure is used in the spike assembly, then the structural integrity and coupling strength are improved, but the material consumption and manufacturing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the grasping function from the spike assembly base part and relocates it to the drip chamber body. The base part is reduced to a simple hollow tang structure that only performs its primary coupling function, while the drip chamber body with its crown-shaped external reliefs provides the grasping function. This separation reduces material consumption in the spike assembly while maintaining overall structural integrity.
2Reliability
If a complex base part structure is used in the spike assembly, then the coupling reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention simplifies the base part to a hollow tang structure that inserts into a recess in the drip chamber body, eliminating complex coupling mechanisms. The coupling reliability is maintained through the precise fit between the tang and recess, while the manufacturing complexity is reduced by removing unnecessary structural elements from the base part.
3Strength
If the grasping function is provided by the spike assembly base part, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the handling comfort and practicability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the grasping function from the spike assembly base part and transfers it to the drip chamber body. The drip chamber body is made of soft plastic material with crown-shaped external reliefs that provide excellent grasping comfort and practicability for operators, while the spike assembly base part maintains its structural integrity through its simplified hollow tang design.
4Ease of operation
If soft plastic material is used for the drip chamber body, then the handling comfort is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses soft plastic material for the drip chamber body, which requires precise molding to ensure consistent wall thickness, proper formation of the crown-shaped external reliefs, and accurate creation of the recess for the hollow tang. The manufacturing precision is controlled through optimized molding parameters and tooling design, allowing the soft material to provide superior handling comfort while meeting functional requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Drip chamber and spike assembly for medical lines, including a generally cylindrical body (1) whose end edge (7) is fixed on a hollow tang (8) of the spike assembly (4) and it is externally formed with a crown of integral reliefs (10) defining a grasping element.