Pharmaceutical Container Support with Hollow Separators for Stable Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support devices for pharmaceutical containers lack a stable and precise coupling mechanism for stacking and handling multiple containers and closure elements in processing lines, leading to potential collisions and interference.
Innovation Solution
A support device with hollow separating elements featuring through openings at the upper surface, allowing insertion of elongated coupling elements from additional support devices, ensuring precise and stable coupling without collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple support devices are stacked to handle multiple containers, then handling capacity increases, but coupling stability and precision deteriorate due to lack of proper coupling mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling elements are inserted into the hollow separating elements of the underlying support device, creating a nested structure where the upper support device's coupling elements are housed within the lower support device's separating elements. This nesting provides stable and precise coupling while enabling vertical stacking of multiple support devices to increase handling capacity.
2Productivity
If multiple support devices are stacked to handle multiple containers, then handling capacity increases, but collision and interference between containers worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The support device body is divided into multiple hollow separating elements that physically segment and isolate containers in vertically stacked support devices. These separating elements act as barriers that prevent containers from colliding or interfering with each other, while still allowing the support devices to be stacked for increased handling capacity.
3Manufacturing precision
If coupling elements are added to achieve stable stacking, then coupling precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow separating elements serve multiple functions: they provide structural separation between adjacent housing seats, and simultaneously act as receptacles for coupling elements from upper support devices. This multi-functionality achieves precise coupling without adding separate dedicated coupling structures, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A support device for supporting a plurality of containers for pharmaceutical use to be handled in a processing line includes a body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a perimeter portion and a central portion delimited by the perimeter portion. The central portion includes a plurality of housing seats configured to house the containers and a plurality of separating elements interposed between adjacent housing seats, wherein at least two of the separating elements are hollow and each of the at least two separating elements includes, at the upper surface, a through opening. An assembly including the support device and a second support device for closing containers and having coupling elements configured for insertion through the through openings of the separating elements is also disclosed.