Flow-Limiting Device With Concave Guiding Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow-limiting devices for containers are often heavy and lack a mechanism to easily return dispensed unitary products, such as pharmaceuticals, into the container, leading to inefficiencies in product management.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight flow-limiting device with a concave entry and dispensing side, featuring elevated regions like ribs, that guides products towards a dispensing opening and allows for easy return by reversing the container's orientation, combined with a gas treatment material to maintain a suitable atmosphere within the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conical flow-limiting device is used to direct products towards the dispensing opening, then product dispensing is improved, but the ability to return dispensed products into the container deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flow-limiting device is segmented into distinct functional zones: an entry side with guiding surfaces for dispensing, a dispensing side with concave geometry for product return, and a peripheral side for structural support. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with others.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes bidirectional functionality by inverting the container orientation. The concave dispensing side is designed to receive and guide products back into the container when the container is inverted, enabling product return capability that contradicts the conventional unidirectional conical design.
2Ease of operation
If traditional flow-limiting device geometries are used, then product guiding is achieved, but the device becomes massive and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The flow-limiting device employs thin-walled polymeric construction with strategic rib reinforcement. The peripheral side provides structural support with minimal material, while the entry and dispensing sides use concave geometries formed by elevated regions rather than thick solid structures, achieving light weight without sacrificing guiding functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device applies material and geometric properties locally where needed: elevated regions (ribs) are positioned specifically to define concave shapes for product guiding, while other areas use minimal wall thickness. This localized application of structural elements reduces overall weight while maintaining necessary guiding functions.
3Ease of manufacture
If the dispensing opening is positioned at the axial end, then product discharge is simplified, but the ability to control single-product dispensing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing opening is positioned partially along the axial direction but spaced from both ends, creating a controlled discharge aperture that limits product flow. The concave geometries on both entry and dispensing sides work together to guide products toward this centrally positioned opening, ensuring one-at-a-time dispensing while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple geometric forms.
Data Source
AI summary
A flow-limiting device that controls the distribution of unitary products from a container for holding said unitary products includes at least one dispensing opening, a body made of a polymeric material with an entry side, a dispensing side and a peripheral side extending in an axial direction of the body. The peripheral side has a lower and an upper axial end, the entry side has at least in part, a concave shape when viewed onto the entry side with at least one guiding surface. The dispensing side has at least in part, a concave shape when viewed onto the dispensing side. The dispensing opening is at an axial position between and spaced from the axial positions of the lower and upper axial end, wherein the entry side and/or the dispensing side include a plurality of elevated regions, which are arranged to define the concave shape.