Pen Needle Container with Adjustable Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pen needle storage solutions face challenges in optimizing space usage while preventing contamination between new and used needles, as they often require separate and rigid compartments that do not adapt to varying numbers of needles.
Innovation Solution
A pen needle container with flexible or movable separators that adjust the size of compartments to accommodate different numbers of new and used needles, incorporating a protective sheath to prevent fluid contamination and a needle bending feature to disable used needles, reducing the need for puncture-resistant materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate rigid compartments are used to store new and used pen needles, then contamination is prevented, but space utilization is inefficient and compartments cannot adapt to varying numbers of needles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible separator that can move and change position within the container, allowing the compartments to dynamically adjust their sizes based on the number of new and used pen needles being stored. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction by maintaining separation (preventing contamination) while adapting to varying storage needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible separator, which can be made of materials like plastic bags or flexible membranes, to divide the container into compartments. This flexible barrier maintains the reliability of contamination prevention while allowing the compartments to change size inversely depending on the number of needles in each section, thus achieving adaptability.
2Reliability
If puncture-resistant materials are used for the separator to prevent fluid contamination, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the needle-sharpening function from the separator by introducing a dedicated needle bending feature in the container wall. This allows the separator to be made of simpler, more easily manufactured flexible materials rather than requiring puncture-resistant materials, thus improving ease of manufacture while maintaining reliability through the bending mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a protective sheath as an intermediary element that engages the flexible separator. This sheath protects the separator from fluid contamination without requiring the separator itself to be puncture-resistant, thereby simplifying manufacturing while maintaining reliability.
3Volume of stationary object
If the same space is reused to store both new and used pen needles, then space utilization is optimized, but risk of mixing and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible separator enables the same container space to be dynamically allocated between new and used needle storage. The separator moves to accommodate varying quantities of each type of needle while maintaining physical separation, thus optimizing space utilization without increasing contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the storage function for both new and used needles into a single container while using a flexible separator to maintain separation. This combining approach optimizes space utilization by reusing the same container volume, while the separator prevents mixing and contamination.
Data Source
AI summary
A container (10) for storing new and used pen needles (20,30), the container (10) comprising a housing (12) including a first compartment (50) configured to store one or mom new pen needles (20), and a second compartment (52) configured to store one or more used pen needles (30), wherein the first and second compartments (50,52) are inversely adjustable in size to accommodate various combinations of new and used pen needles (20, 30).