Partitioned Pill Dispenser Cover for Clean Single-Pill Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pill dispensers can cause pills to be ground or mixed with other pills, leading to tainting and reduced effectiveness due to odor transfer.
Innovation Solution
A pill dispenser design with fixed partition plates and a rotatable outlet cover that prevents pills from being stuck or mixed, featuring clamping grooves, elastic positioning ribs, and adjustable exposure of the outlet to control pill dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rotating cover is used to dispense pills from multiple cavities, then ease of operation is improved, but pills may be ground or mixed causing tainting
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing mechanism is segmented into separate functional components: a stationary pill dispensing cover with fixed partition plates that maintain cavity separation, and a rotatable pill outlet cover that only controls the discharge opening. This segmentation allows rotation functionality without compromising the integrity of pill storage cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating functionality is extracted from the cover structure and applied only to the pill outlet cover, separating the dispensing control function from the cavity protection function. The partition plates remain fixed and stationary, while only the outlet cover rotates to control pill discharge.
2Manufacturing precision
If partition plates extend above the cover to separate cavities, then manufacturing precision is improved for cavity separation, but pills may be stuck between plates and cover
Solution Approach 1:
A pill dispensing opening is introduced as an intermediary element between the partition plates and the pill dispensing cover. This opening provides a clear pathway for pills to pass through during dispensing, preventing pills from becoming stuck between the partition plates and the cover structure.
3Ease of operation
If the outlet is always open for easy dispensing, then ease of operation is improved, but pills from different cavities may mix causing tainting
Solution Approach 1:
The pill outlet cover is designed to be rotatable, providing dynamic control over the pill outlet. The outlet can be rotated to an open position for dispensing or to a closed position to seal the outlet and prevent cross-contamination between different pill types stored in different cavities.
Data Source
AI summary
A pill dispenser includes a dispenser body, a pill dispensing cover, and a pill outlet cover. The dispenser body is hollow. A fixed cylinder is disposed at a center of the dispenser body. Partition plates are connected between the fixed cylinder and the dispenser body to define pill cavities. The partition plates are disposed in a circumferential array. At least one end of each of the partition plates extends out of the dispenser body. Clamping grooves are defined in the pill dispensing cover. A periphery of each of the partition plates is clamped in a corresponding one of the clamping grooves, so the pill dispensing cover is fixed to the dispenser body. The pill dispensing cover includes pill dispensing openings one-to-one corresponding to the pill cavities. When the pill dispensing cover is fixed to the dispenser body, each of the partition plates abuts against the pill dispensing cover.