Multi-Component Injection-Moulded Housing for Watertight Drug Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Administering devices face challenges in ensuring watertightness while allowing for visibility and operational control, particularly in self-administered drug treatments like diabetes, where moisture-sensitive components and control elements need protection without additional joining processes that increase costs and faults.
Innovation Solution
A multi-functional housing shell is produced using a multi-component injection moulding process, incorporating transparent and flexible wall regions made from different plastic materials, where the dimensionally stable curable plastic material forms the skeleton and thermoplastic elastomer ensures watertightness and operational reliability without additional joining processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the housing shell is made transparent or flexible in specific regions to allow visibility and control element operation, then the usability and functionality are improved, but the water tightness and protection of moisture-sensitive components are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The housing shell incorporates wall regions with different properties: transparent regions for visibility, flexible regions for control element operation, and impermeable regions for water tightness. This local differentiation allows each region to fulfill its specific function while maintaining overall device reliability and protection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate wall elements are inserted and joined to the housing shell to provide transparent or flexible regions, then the functional requirements are met, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to additional joining processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple wall regions with different properties (transparent, flexible, impermeable) into a single integrated housing shell structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate insertion and joining operations, reducing manufacturing complexity and potential fault sources while maintaining the required functional versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing shell is produced as a multi-component injection-moulded part combining different plastic materials in specific regions. This composite material approach allows the shell to simultaneously exhibit transparency, flexibility, and impermeability in different areas without requiring additional joining processes.
3Reliability
If additional joining processes such as bonding or welding are used to attach wall elements to the housing shell, then the water tightness can be improved, but the risk of seal faults and quality assurance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating all wall regions into a single injection-moulded housing shell, the patent eliminates joining interfaces that could become sources of seal faults. The multi-component injection moulding process creates a unified structure without bonds or welds, thereby reducing quality assurance burdens related to seal integrity.
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 solution provides a reliable, cost-effective, and fault-resistant watertight housing that protects moisture-sensitive components and allows for visibility and control element operation, ensuring the device's functionality and durability over its service life.
Implementation Method 1
a dimensionally stable, curable plastic material is injected around it to render it watertight
Implementation Method 2
an elastomeric plastic material is injected onto it, preferably a thermoplastic elastomer
Data Source
AI summary
Method of producing an administering device for infusing or injecting a product, whereby in order to mold a housing shell (1) serving as a case for components of the administering device in a multi-component injection molding process at least one pre-molded, transparent insert part (22, 23) made from a first plastic material is inserted in an injection mold molded to a shape matching the shape of the housing shell (1), a dimensionally stable, curable second plastic material is injected into the injection mold around the insert part (22, 23) to render it watertight and an opening left free in the second plastic material is closed to render it watertight by injecting on an elastomeric third plastic material.