Folding Bellows Fluid Container for Intuitive Metered Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for dispensing sterile fluids, such as eye drops, lack intuitive usability and are not easily recognizable for users, and their manufacturing should be cost-effective for mass production.
Innovation Solution
A container with a folding bellows metering portion having reduced wall thickness at joints, allowing intuitive use and easy manufacturing, featuring a folding bellows with reduced wall thickness at joints to facilitate metered dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container uses a bottom wall that can assume two defined states with curvature changes, then metered dispensing function is achieved, but the operation is not intuitively recognizable for users
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall is designed to be elastically deformable, allowing it to dynamically change shape between two defined states (first position with outward curvature and second position with inward curvature) in response to user pressure, enabling intuitive operation through tactile feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom wall's geometric parameters (curvature and position) are changed elastically under applied force, allowing the same structural element to serve multiple functions: maintaining structural integrity in the first position and enabling metered dispensing in the second position
2Ease of operation
If the wall thickness of the metering portion is reduced by 25% to 60% at the joints, then the folding bellows can be compressed more easily, but the oxygen diffusion through the container wall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container wall thickness is optimized locally: the metering portion has reduced wall thickness (25%-60% reduction) specifically at the joints to enable easy compression and folding, while other portions maintain sufficient thickness to minimize oxygen diffusion and protect oxygen-sensitive products
Solution Approach 2:
The container wall is segmented into different regions with different thickness characteristics: thinner walls at the folding joints for flexibility and easier compression, and thicker walls in other areas for oxygen barrier protection, allowing each region to optimize its function
3Ease of operation
If the container is designed with a folding bellows metering portion, then intuitive operation is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The folding bellows metering portion is integrated as an integral part of the container body, merging the metering function with the container structure itself, which simplifies manufacturing by eliminating separate components and assembly steps while maintaining intuitive operation
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 container provides intuitive operation and is suitable for mass production, ensuring consistent dispensing with reduced oxygen diffusion, maintaining sterility and stability for oxygen-sensitive products.
Implementation Method 1
the metering portion is configured as a folding bellows having at least one radially inward fold having joints, wherein the wall thickness of the metering portion is reduced, at least in the region of the joints, by 25% to 60% with respect to the first wall thickness
Implementation Method 2
the wall thickness of the metering portion is reduced, at least in the region of the joints, by 25% to 60% with respect to the first wall thickness
Implementation Method 3
only a few areas with a small wall thickness are formed, which can also be kept small in the metering portion with regard to the penetration of oxygen, for example, by diffusion through the container wall
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a container for metered dispensing of a sterile fluid, the container comprising a substantially rotationally symmetrical storage body (12) made of plastics material, having a longitudinal axis (O) and a radial direction (R) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, wherein the storage body (12) comprises a substantially cylindrical or conical casing portion (14) having a first wall thickness (S1), a metering portion (16), a bottom portion (18) and a container neck portion (20), characterized in that the metering portion (16) is arranged between the casing portion (14) and the bottom portion (18), and is configured as a folding bellows having at least one radially inward fold having pivot points (36, 38, 40); wherein the wall thickness (S2) of the metering portion (16) is reduced, at least in the region of the joints (36,38, 40), by 25% to 60% with respect to the first wall thickness S1.