Micropipette Holder With Living Hinge Protective Shell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capillary tubes and micropipettes, due to their fragile and slender nature, require protective packaging that prevents shock and flexure during transport and storage while being easy to handle, use, and manufacture, and is compact in size.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece protective device with a base portion and side-portions interconnected by living hinges, featuring recesses and pins that form pockets to securely hold the tubular elements, allowing for easy insertion and removal and forming a protective shell in the closed configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective packaging device is designed to securely hold fragile tubular elements, then protection against shock and flexure is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging device is divided into a base portion and a side portion that can be separated, allowing the side portion to fold over and protect the tubular element while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. The segmentation enables protective function without requiring a completely enclosed complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The living hinge connects the base portion and side portion, enabling dynamic movement between open and closed configurations. This dynamic connection allows the device to adapt to different states (open for insertion, closed for protection) without requiring multiple separate components or complex mechanisms.
2Volume of moving object
If the packaging device is designed to be compact for storage, then volume is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The living hinge enables the side portion to fold dynamically, transforming the device from a compact closed state to an expanded open state during use. This dynamic mechanism allows the device to maintain small storage volume while providing adequate space and accessibility during the insertion and removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The side portion acts as a flexible protective shell that can fold and unfold. This flexible structure provides protection when closed while allowing easy access when opened, resolving the contradiction between compactness and ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple pins with indentations are used to securely hold the tubular element, then holding precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pins with indentations are integrated into a single molded piece rather than being separate components. This merging of functions into one manufacturing step achieves precise holding through the pin-indentation geometry while avoiding the cost and complexity of assembling multiple separate parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The pins with indentations are designed to automatically grip and position the tubular element upon insertion, without requiring additional adjustment mechanisms or complex assembly steps. The geometry of the pins and indentations self-adjusts to securely hold the element.
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 device effectively supports and protects capillary tubes and micropipettes by distributing stress evenly and facilitating safe handling and storage, while being easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture, with the living hinges allowing for a compact and secure packaging solution.
Implementation Method 1
at least one living hinge interconnecting the side-portion to the base portion... the at least one living hinge opens such that the side-portion is substantially parallel to the base portion in the open configuration and the at least one living hinge closes such that the side-portion forms a protective shell
Data Source
AI summary
A device for support and protection of a tubular element having a single-piece construction, an open configuration and a closed configuration, comprising: a base portion, a side-portion and at least one living hinge interconnecting the side-portion to the base portion. The base portion comprises a plurality of recesses on a surface, each recess being delimited by a plurality of pins, each pin having an indentation. The plurality of indentations form a pocket by which the tubular element is held. The at least one living hinge opens such that the side-portion is substantially parallel to the base portion in the open configuration and the at least one living hinge closes such that the side-portion forms a protective shell about the base portion in the closed configuration.