Hinged Lid Packaging Assembly with Spring Ejectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, face challenges in administering medicaments due to reduced mobility and dexterity, requiring packaging solutions that facilitate easy access and storage of injection devices while maintaining refrigeration requirements.
Innovation Solution
A packaging assembly with a hinged lid and handle that allows for easy opening and closing without requiring a pinch grip, incorporating spring ejectors and flexible bands to securely store and retrieve injection devices, along with a tray system for convenient dispensing, and an integrated electronics system for reminder alerts at scheduled dosing times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional packaging with a closed lid is used to store injection devices in the refrigerator, then the medicament is securely stored and refrigerated, but patients with reduced dexterity cannot easily open and access the injection devices
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is made movable and flexible through a hinge connection, allowing it to dynamically open and close. The flexible band mechanism provides adaptive tension that assists the user in opening the lid without requiring excessive force, while still maintaining secure closure when shut.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible band acts as a mechanical assistant that stores elastic potential energy during lid closure and releases it during opening. This self-service mechanism reduces the physical effort required by the user to operate the packaging, effectively compensating for reduced dexterity.
2Ease of operation
If spring ejectors are used to automatically eject injection devices from the case, then patient access is simplified, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring ejectors are pre-loaded and automatically activate when the lid is opened, using stored elastic energy to propel the injection devices outward. This self-service ejection mechanism requires no additional power source or complex control systems, simply converting mechanical potential energy into useful motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The springs are pre-compressed during packaging assembly, storing energy in advance. When the lid is opened, this pre-stored energy is released to automatically eject the injection devices, eliminating the need for manual retrieval effort by the patient.
3Ease of operation
If the lid extends over multiple faces of the case to provide a large surface area for handle placement, then ease of opening is improved, but the packaging volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is configured to wrap around multiple faces of the case (front, top, and side), utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently. This multi-facial configuration provides adequate handle surface area distributed across different orientations without proportionally increasing the overall packaging volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid structure is designed to closely conform to the case geometry, with minimal protrusion beyond the bounding box of the case. The handle portion is integrated into the lid rather than being a separate external addition, maximizing space utilization.
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 packaging assembly provides a user-friendly, secure, and convenient method for patients to access and administer medicaments, ensuring adherence to scheduled dosing regimens without the need for fine motor skills, while maintaining the refrigeration of medicaments.
Implementation Method 1
The packaging assembly may include one or more spring ejectors configured to urge at least one of the plurality of injection devices at least partially out of the case when the lid is in the open position.
Implementation Method 2
The packaging assembly may include a flexible band arranged to retain the injection device within the case or to enable removal of the injection device from the case.
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging assembly comprises a case configured to at least partially contain a plurality of injection devices for delivering a medicament, the case being formed as a box having at least one open end face; a lid coupled to the case and movable between an open position and a closed position, the lid being configured to hinge at an edge of the lid furthest from the at least one open end face of the case on another face of the case, and being arranged in the closed position to extend substantially over the open end face of the case and at least partially over another second face of the case that is adjacent to the open end face; and a handle portion having an upper side and a lower side and being arranged to protrude from the lid.