Injection Spring Assembly for Needle Cover and Drug Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drug delivery devices often require multiple springs for both the drive mechanism and needle cover movement, increasing complexity and cost, and there is a need for a design that reduces the number of components while ensuring safe needle handling.
Innovation Solution
An injection device that uses a single spring member operatively coupled to both the drive member and the needle cover, allowing the spring to perform both dispensing and needle cover movements, eliminating the need for a separate cover spring and reducing the number of parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple springs are used for drive mechanism and needle cover movement, then the device can perform both functions reliably, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the universality principle by designing a single spring member that performs multiple functions: it acts as both the drive spring for moving the drive member and the cover spring for moving the needle cover. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate springs, thereby reducing device complexity and component count while maintaining the reliability of both drive mechanism and needle cover movement functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of two separate springs (drive spring and cover spring) into a single integrated spring member. This consolidation combines the drive mechanism function and needle cover movement function into one component, reducing the total number of parts and simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring both functions operate reliably.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple springs are used for drive mechanism and needle cover movement, then both functions can be performed, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of two separate springs (drive spring and cover spring) into a single integrated spring member. This consolidation combines the drive mechanism function and needle cover movement function into one component, reducing the total number of parts and simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring both functions operate reliably.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the universality principle by designing a single spring member that performs multiple functions: it acts as both the drive spring for moving the drive member and the cover spring for moving the needle cover. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate springs, thereby reducing device complexity and component count while maintaining the reliability of both drive mechanism and needle cover movement functions.
3Device complexity
If a single spring member is used for both drive member and needle cover, then device complexity is reduced, but the spring must be designed to handle multiple functions simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the single spring member into distinct functional sections: a first section that interacts with the drive member for dispensing movement and a second section that interacts with the needle cover for covering movement. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function while being part of a unified spring structure, managing design complexity through functional division.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving different sections of the spring member different characteristics or configurations suited to their specific functions. The first section is designed with properties optimal for driving the plunger rod, while the second section is designed with properties optimal for moving the needle cover, allowing each local region of the spring to be optimized for its particular role.
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
This design simplifies the device structure, lowers manufacturing and assembly costs, and enhances sustainability by minimizing components while ensuring safe needle handling and efficient drug delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member operatively coupled to the drive member to move the drive member in a dispensing direction... the spring member is further operatively coupled to the needle cover such that movement of the needle cover... causes the spring member to expand or compress
Data Source
AI summary
An injection device for dispensing a drug from a reservoir through a needle includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis, a drive member movable relative to the housing to dispense the drug, a spring member operatively coupled the drive member to move the drive member in a dispensing direction, and a needle cover movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the housing between a needle covering position and a retracted position defining a needle cover movement along a first distance. Additionally, the spring member is operatively coupled to the needle cover such that the needle cover movement causes the spring member to compress or expand.