Micro-dosing Device with Threaded Telescopic Piston
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing micro-dosing devices for liquids, such as insulin pumps, face challenges with space requirements, friction, and imprecision due to transmission gears and asymmetric force transmission, leading to increased size and potential for tilting and deformation.
Innovation Solution
A portable micro-dosing device design featuring a drive unit with a rotatable member and sleeve, where the outer thread engages an inner thread, providing a telescopic mechanism for axial movement of the displacement piston, coupled with a computerized control unit and encoder for precise displacement control, and a force sensor for monitoring operational disorders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a transmission gear is used to drive the reservoir piston, then the piston can be displaced, but the device size increases and friction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transmission gear from the system entirely. Instead of using a gear mechanism to drive the reservoir piston, the invention directly couples the motor shaft to the piston through a threaded appendix, eliminating the intermediate transmission component and its associated space and friction requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gear transmission system with a direct threaded mechanism. The motor shaft directly engages with a threaded appendix on the piston, converting rotational motion to linear motion through threading rather than through gear teeth, thereby eliminating gear friction and reducing overall device size.
2Volume of moving object
If a threaded appendix is used for piston engagement, then space requirements are reduced, but friction and asymmetric force transmission increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric threaded appendix design where the thread engagement is deliberately made non-uniform. The threaded appendix has a specific thread profile that engages with a corresponding nut or gear wheel in an asymmetric configuration, allowing for controlled linear displacement while managing force transmission characteristics to minimize tilting and deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gear wheel as an intermediary component that engages with the threaded appendix. This gear wheel acts as a mediator between the motor shaft and the piston, providing a reliable mechanical interface that ensures symmetric force transmission while maintaining the space-saving threaded mechanism. The gear wheel distributes forces more evenly across the thread engagement.
3Volume of moving object
If the piston is pushed in a retracted position, then the device becomes compact, but friction and asymmetric transmission cause imprecision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates an encoder that provides feedback on the position and movement of the piston. This feedback mechanism allows the control system to monitor and adjust the piston displacement in real-time, compensating for any imprecision caused by friction or asymmetric force transmission. The encoder ensures that the dosing accuracy is maintained even when the piston is pushed in a compact retracted position.
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 design results in a compact, precise, and reliable micro-dosing device that effectively manages liquid dispensation according to a pre-selected profile, reducing friction and tilting issues while maintaining a slim and compact form.
Implementation Method 1
The outer thread (7) engages an inner thread (8) of a threaded sleeve (9), in which the drive unit (4) is linearly displaceable
Implementation Method 2
activating a drive motor; displacing the drive unit with respect to the structure towards the piston in an axial direction with the drive motor
Implementation Method 3
coupled with a computerized control unit and encoder for precise displacement control
Implementation Method 4
a force sensor for monitoring operational disorders
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for micro-dosing a liquid are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a method for a time controlled micro-dosing of a liquid from a liquid reservoir includes: receiving the liquid reservoir with a structure wherein the structure is portable; securing the liquid reservoir to the structure; connecting a second end of a drive unit to a piston disposed within the liquid reservoir; activating a drive motor; displacing the drive unit with respect to the structure towards the piston in an axial direction with the drive motor; moving the piston axially within the liquid reservoir; and micro-dosing the liquid from the liquid reservoir.