Injection Tray Bore Segmentation for Glass Tube Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trays with circular bores cannot securely hold glass tubes with collars of similar diameters, as they fail to retain the upper collar during preparation cycles.
Innovation Solution
A tray design featuring bores with a holding portion that prevents the upper collar from passing through, incorporating a lateral introduction portion for the lower collar, and optionally using elastic elements and liquid crystal polymer materials for enhanced rigidity and sterilization resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional circular bores are used to hold tubes, then the bore diameter can be sufficient to receive the lower collar, but the upper collar cannot be retained
Solution Approach 1:
The bore is divided into two distinct functional zones: an introduction portion with a larger diameter to facilitate insertion of the lower collar, and a holding portion with a reduced diameter to securely retain the upper collar. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function effectively without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the bore have different diameters tailored to specific functions. The introduction portion has a larger diameter for easy insertion, while the holding portion has a smaller diameter for secure retention. This local variation in geometric quality optimizes both insertion ease and retention reliability.
2Reliability
If the bore diameter is reduced to retain the upper collar, then retention is improved, but the lower collar cannot be introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bore is segmented into an introduction portion with larger diameter for lower collar insertion and a holding portion with smaller diameter for upper collar retention. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing different diameters for different operational stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The bore transitions from a two-dimensional cross-sectional view to a three-dimensional structure with varying diameter along its length. This dimensional change allows the bore to accommodate the lower collar during introduction and then retain the upper collar during the holding phase.
3Manufacturing precision
If elastic elements are added to clip the tube, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic elements automatically engage with the tube body to provide clipping and positioning. The elastic deformation of these elements creates a self-adjusting mechanism that secures the tube without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems, thus improving precision while limiting complexity increase.
4Reliability
If liquid crystal polymer material is used, then sterilization resistance and chemical resistance are improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material for the tray, which provides superior sterilization resistance, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. LCP is a high-performance polymer that maintains its properties under extreme conditions, making it suitable for repeated sterilization cycles and exposure to chemical cleaning agents.
Data Source
AI summary
A tray intended to hold injection device tubes includes a collar at each end of a body. In order to carry out operations of preparing the injection device tubes, the tray includes bores and each bore is configured to receive a body of an injection device tube. Also, each bore of the tray includes a holding portion for holding the upper collar of the tube and the holding portion extends laterally from an introduction portion enabling the passage of the lower collar.