Medication Support Device Horizontal Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medication support devices face challenges in efficiently and reliably dispensing multiple medicine packages to patients, particularly in environments where space is limited, as they often require vertical placement of packages, leading to issues with package orientation and separation during dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A medication support device comprising a container, a pickup device, a conveyor, a medicine dispenser, and a separator, which allows for the horizontal storage and vertical orientation of medicine packs, enabling precise pickup, conveyance, and separation of packs from the pickup device, ensuring reliable dispensing into narrow partitions of the dispenser trays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If medicine packs are placed vertically in narrow partitions to save space, then space utilization is improved, but package orientation and separation during dispensing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from vertical storage orientation to horizontal conveyance orientation. Medicine packs are stored vertically in the container but are picked up and conveyed horizontally to the dispenser, then inserted vertically into narrow partitions. This dimensional transition resolves the contradiction by separating storage density from dispensing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system acts as an intermediary between the vertical storage container and the vertical dispenser partitions. It provides a horizontal conveyance path that allows packs to be transported without maintaining vertical orientation throughout the entire process, thus preserving both space efficiency and dispensing reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple medicine packs are stored in vertical orientation, then space efficiency is improved, but pickup and separation reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the storage function from the pickup function. The container maintains vertical stacking for high-density storage, while the pickup device interfaces with packs in a controlled manner to enable reliable individual pickup. The separator further segments packs during conveyance to ensure they are properly positioned for dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pickup device and separator act as intermediaries that bridge the vertical storage configuration and the horizontal conveyance requirement. They enable reliable pickup and separation without requiring the packs to be reoriented before storage, thus maintaining both storage capacity and pickup reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If medicine packs are conveyed horizontally from vertical storage, then dispensing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is designed to be simple and direct, providing a single horizontal conveyance path from the container to the dispenser. This dynamic horizontal motion enables precise positioning of packs without requiring complex mechanical structures, resolving the contradiction between dispensing precision and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A medication support device includes a container that stores a plurality of medicine packs, a pickup device configured to pick up a specific one of the plurality of medicine packs from the container, a conveyor configured to convey the specific one of the plurality of medicine packs picked up by the pickup device, a medicine dispenser configured to arrange the specific one of the plurality of medicine packs conveyed by the conveyor, and a separator configured to make the specific one of the plurality of medicine packs picked up by the pickup device separate from the pickup device. In the medication support device, the plurality of medicine packs are stacked on top of each other in layers in the container, and the pickup device includes a suction device configured to pick up one of the plurality of medicine packs downward from the container.