Flexible Medicament Container With Internal Support for Complete Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medicament containers with flexible sidewalls often collapse prematurely during fluid withdrawal, leading to residual fluid trapped and wasted.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an extension into the medicament container that provides structural support to the sidewall, preventing premature collapse and ensuring complete fluid evacuation by maintaining the sidewall's separation under vacuum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sidewall is made flexible to enable collapse during fluid withdrawal, then the container can be emptied more completely, but the sidewall collapses prematurely before complete evacuation
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into a flexible sidewall portion and a rigid extension portion. The rigid extension acts as an internal support structure that prevents premature collapse of the flexible sidewall, allowing the sidewall to collapse in a controlled manner only after the fluid level drops below it, thereby ensuring complete fluid evacuation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the container have different flexibility characteristics. The sidewall is made flexible while the extension is made rigid. This local differentiation allows the sidewall to collapse for complete evacuation while the rigid extension maintains structural integrity and prevents premature collapse.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sidewall is made rigid to maintain container shape, then structural stability is improved, but complete fluid evacuation becomes difficult due to premature collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is divided into rigid and flexible segments. The rigid extension provides structural stability and maintains container shape, while the flexible sidewall enables controlled collapse for complete fluid evacuation. This segmentation allows both stability and complete evacuation to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The container has localized rigidity in the extension portion and localized flexibility in the sidewall portion. This local quality differentiation ensures that the container maintains its shape where needed (extension) while allowing collapse where beneficial for complete evacuation (sidewall).
3Reliability
If the extension height is increased to provide more support, then premature collapse is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension height is optimized to be at least one-quarter of the sidewall height. This parameter specification provides sufficient support to prevent premature collapse while avoiding excessive height that would increase complexity. The specific ratio ensures adequate support with minimal additional complexity.
4Strength
If the cross-sectional area of the extension is increased at the first end, then structural support is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension has a non-uniform cross-sectional area that is greater at the first end (near the spout) and smaller at the second end. This local quality variation provides maximum structural support where it is most needed (at the spout connection) while reducing material usage and simplifying manufacturing in regions where less support is required.
Data Source
AI summary
A medicament container including at least one sidewall and an extension is provided. The extension may be rigid in comparison to sidewalls that form the volume of the container. The extension may extend substantially into the volume of the container to a central region of the container. The container may include one or more ribs formed in the sidewalls to provide structural rigidity to the sidewalls.