Pharmaceutical Container Nests with Movable Protrusions for Stable Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container nests for pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions suffer from tilting, leading to damage, uneven fill heights, and increased particle formation due to container contact, especially when varying diameters are accommodated, and result in reduced packaging density and increased downtime during handling and filling.
Innovation Solution
A structure with receptacles featuring movable protrusions on the sidewalls that accommodate containers with varying diameters, reducing tilting and contact, and allowing for easier insertion and removal, while minimizing damage and particle formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If receptacles are dimensioned to accommodate containers with varying diameters, then adaptability is improved, but container stability deteriorates due to tilting and gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is segmented into multiple functional zones: a base portion for support, sidewalls for containment, and protrusions for positioning. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function - the base provides stable support, the sidewalls contain the container, and the protrusions prevent tilting by contacting the container at strategic points, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions act as intermediary elements between the receptacle and the container. They mediate the interaction by providing contact points that prevent tilting without requiring a tight fit between the container and receptacle walls. This intermediary structure enables the receptacle to accommodate varying container diameters while maintaining stability through the protrusion-container contact points.
2Productivity
If packaging density is increased to improve space utilization, then productivity is improved, but container damage increases due to contact between containers
Solution Approach 1:
The nest structure is divided into individual receptacles with defined boundaries and protrusions. This segmentation creates discrete positioning zones for each container, allowing high-density packaging while preventing harmful contact between adjacent containers through the structural definition provided by the protrusions and receptacle walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are designed to automatically position and stabilize containers as they are placed in the receptacles. This self-positioning mechanism ensures that containers are correctly oriented and spaced without requiring external intervention, enabling high packaging density while preventing damage through consistent, damage-free positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If container tilting is allowed to accommodate varying diameters, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to varying fill heights
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions serve as intermediary positioning elements that contact the containers to prevent tilting. By providing these intermediate contact points, the system achieves both adaptability to varying container diameters and precision in container positioning, ensuring consistent fill heights during the filling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions can be positioned at different locations and with different dimensions to accommodate varying container geometries. By changing the parameters of the protrusions (position, size, shape), the system maintains both adaptability to different container types and precision in container positioning for consistent filling.
4Stability of the object's composition
If large contact surface between receptacle sidewalls and containers is used to improve stability, then stability is improved, but particle formation increases due to friction and contact
Solution Approach 1:
The contact between receptacle and container is segmented into discrete points through the protrusions rather than a continuous large surface area. This point-contact approach provides sufficient stability to prevent tilting while minimizing the friction and contact area that would otherwise generate particles, thereby resolving the contradiction between stability and particle formation.
Data Source
AI summary
A structure has a plurality of receptacles, wherein a. the receptacles are adapted and arranged for receiving a plurality of containers; b. each receptacle, of the plurality of receptacles, includes a sidewall defining an interior of a respective receptacle, wherein i. at least one protrusion is arranged on the sidewall and extends into the interior of the respective receptacle, ii. the at least one protrusion has a first end and a further end, wherein A. the first end is arranged opposite the further end, B. the first end is attached to the sidewall; wherein at least one section of the further end of the at least one protrusion is adapted and arranged to be movable with respect to the sidewall on which the protrusion is arranged.