Needle Head Inner Cap Locking Elements Ampoule Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection devices for medical active ingredients, such as pen injectors, face challenges in efficiently and securely filling large quantities of ampoules with active ingredients while ensuring tight sealing to prevent losses and facilitate easy handling.
Innovation Solution
A needle head design featuring an inner cap with a sealing body and an outer cap with an external thread, allowing for a snap connection and secure attachment to the ampoule, ensuring reliable hold and high tightness, which simplifies the filling process and maintains ampoule integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tight closure system is used to prevent active ingredient loss, then sealing reliability is improved, but the complexity of the needle head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle head is divided into multiple functional components: an inner cap with locking elements for secure attachment to the ampoule, a sealing element for tight closure, and an outer cap with thread connection for needle attachment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner cap is nested within the outer cap, with the sealing element positioned between them. The locking elements on the inner cap engage with the ampoule while the outer cap provides additional structural support and thread connection. This nested arrangement achieves reliable sealing through multiple layers without significantly increasing external dimensions or operational complexity.
2Reliability
If a multi-component needle head is used to ensure reliable hold and tightness, then sealing reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle head is segmented into modular components (inner cap, sealing element, outer cap) that can be manufactured separately using optimized processes for each material and function, then assembled through straightforward assembly steps. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured with appropriate materials and methods, improving overall manufacturability despite multiple parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner cap serves as an intermediary component that provides locking elements for secure attachment to the ampoule, while the outer cap provides the thread connection for needle attachment. This intermediary structure simplifies the overall design by separating different connection functions into dedicated components, making each easier to manufacture and assemble.
3Ease of operation
If a snap connection design is used for attaching the needle head to the ampoule, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the connection may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into locking elements on the inner cap that engage with corresponding features on the ampoule, providing a snap connection for easy attachment. The locking elements are designed to provide audible and tactile feedback upon engagement, ensuring proper connection while maintaining simplicity of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking elements are pre-positioned on the inner cap in specific orientations and positions that automatically align with the ampoule features during attachment. This preliminary positioning ensures that the snap connection engages reliably without requiring precise manual alignment, combining ease of operation with connection reliability.
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 enables efficient filling of large quantities of ampoules with a high level of tightness, minimizing active ingredient losses and facilitating easy handling, while ensuring reliable sealing and secure attachment, thus addressing the challenges of ampoule filling and storage.
Implementation Method 1
a number of locking elements in a region designed as a snap-on cap
Implementation Method 2
an inner cap which can be pushed onto a connecting piece of an active ingredient ampoule and which comprises a number of locking elements
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
A needle head (6, 6') for an injection device (1) for a medicinal product, in particular a pen injector, is intended to facilitate the filling of even large quantities of ampoules (2) for such injectors. According to the invention, the needle head (6, 6') comprises an inner cap (58) that can be slid onto a connecting nozzle (50) of an active ingredient ampoule (2), the inner cap comprising a number of locking elements (74) in a region designed as a compression cap (66), and an outer cap (80) that can be slid onto the inner cap (58) and radially fixes the locking elements (74) when slid onto the inner cap (58).