Pill Dispenser With Segmented Neck Insert For Controlled Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pill dispensers often result in the unintended release of multiple pills during retrieval, lacking control and efficiency in dispensing a specific number of pills.
Innovation Solution
A pill dispenser design featuring a container with a neck insert and closure system, where the neck insert includes a pill-dispensing outlet and a receiver dish, allowing for controlled dispensing by inverting the dispenser to direct pills into the receiver dish, minimizing excess pill release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional pill dispensers are used, then pill retrieval is simple, but multiple pills are unintentionally released causing loss of control
Solution Approach 1:
The internal chamber is segmented into a storage region and a dispensing region separated by a divider. The divider includes a controlled opening that allows pills to pass from storage to dispensing region one at a time, preventing multiple pills from being released simultaneously while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A controlled opening in the divider acts as an intermediary mechanism between the storage region and dispensing region. This opening regulates pill flow, allowing only one pill to pass through at a time, thus controlling the quantity released while keeping the retrieval process simple.
2Ease of operation
If conventional pill dispensers are used, then access to pills is easy, but control over specific number of pills dispensed is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The pill dispenser is divided into distinct functional zones: a storage region for bulk pills, a dispensing region for controlled release, and a divider with a controlled opening. This segmentation enables precise control over the number of pills dispensed while maintaining easy access through the simple inversion mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The controlled opening in the divider is pre-configured to allow only one pill to pass through at a time. This preliminary design constraint ensures that when the user inverts the dispenser, exactly one pill is dispensed, providing precise quantity control without complicating the user action.
3Productivity
If pills are dispensed by inverting the container, then gravity assists pill movement, but excess pills may be released uncontrollably
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into storage and dispensing regions separated by a divider with a controlled opening. When inverted, gravity moves pills toward the opening, but the opening's limited size restricts flow to one pill at a time, maintaining high dispensing efficiency while preventing excess release.
Solution Approach 2:
The divider introduces a localized constraint at the interface between storage and dispensing regions. The controlled opening provides a specific geometric property that regulates pill flow under gravitational force, allowing efficient dispensing while preventing uncontrolled excess release.
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
This design enables precise dispensing of a predetermined number of pills, reducing accidental release and improving user control during pill retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
a user obtains pills from the interior product-storage chamber by first inverting the pill dispenser and then returning the pill dispenser to an upright position. As a result, a limited number of pills move from the interior pill-storage chamber through the pill-dispensing outlet and rest on the pill-receiver dish
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a container formed to include an interior product-storage region and a closure. The closure is coupled to the container selectively to allow access to the product stored in the interior product-storage region.