Flat Rectangular Medication Container with Safety Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cylindrical containers for medication and food products are inefficient in terms of space usage, labeling, and manufacturing, leading to wasted space during storage and increased shipping costs, and require cumbersome handling to read labels.
Innovation Solution
A flat, one-piece container with a lid and compartment design that includes a safety lock, gripping elements, and an indexing label for easy handling and labeling, allowing for efficient storage, transportation, and connection of multiple containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cylindrical containers are used for medication and food products, then the containers can be manufactured with standard caps, but the containers waste space when stored together and increase shipping costs
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into separate components: a flat rectangular container body and a separate lid assembly. This segmentation allows the container to be manufactured efficiently while enabling compact flat-pack storage that eliminates wasted space between containers on shelves and during shipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The container transitions from a three-dimensional cylindrical shape to a two-dimensional flat rectangular configuration. This dimensional change allows multiple containers to be stored edge-to-edge without wasted space, significantly improving storage efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Loss of information
If labels are placed on cylindrical containers wrapping around the container, then the entire label can be displayed, but the user must pick up and turn the container to read the label
Solution Approach 1:
The label is positioned on the flat rectangular surface of the container rather than wrapping around a cylindrical surface. This allows the label to be displayed on the largest available flat area, providing sufficient space for all necessary information while eliminating the need for users to pick up and rotate the container.
3Reliability
If cylindrical containers with caps are used, then the containers can be sealed, but the containers and caps must be stored, manufactured, and inventoried separately
Solution Approach 1:
The lid assembly is designed as an integrated component that combines the sealing function with the closure mechanism. By merging the lid and cap functions into a single integrated assembly, the design maintains reliable sealing while simplifying inventory management, as the sealing component is no longer separate from the container body.
Data Source
AI summary
A container for dispensing food products or medication comprising: a rectangular compartment comprising gripping elements for gripping the rectangular compartment by a user, and connecting members, the connecting members being on two opposite sides of the rectangular compartment and operable to attach one or more other containers to the container; and a lid portion, wherein the rectangular compartment and the lid portion are connected via a living hinge and comprise a closing mechanism and a safety mechanism to hinder opening of the container.