Pill Dispenser Spool and Metering Sleeve Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals taking multiple doses of medication daily face inconvenience and difficulty due to the need to frequently open and close pill containers, especially for those with poor dexterity, as existing designs do not facilitate easy and convenient dispensing of pills without removing the lid.
Innovation Solution
A pill dispenser with a housing, rotatable closure, hopper, and spool that allows for the inverted mounting of pill containers, featuring a metering sleeve to select the appropriate slot size and shape for dispensing a single pill without opening the container, and a spool with slots for pill collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pill container is designed with a lid that must be opened to access pills, then the container maintains secure closure and protection, but the user experiences inconvenience and difficulty when needing to frequently access pills
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a spool with multiple slots for different pill types, a metering sleeve with corresponding openings, and a hopper. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while working together to enable frequent pill access without opening the container lid.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering sleeve acts as an intermediary between the spool and the dispensing opening. It selectively allows pills of specific sizes and shapes to pass through its openings while blocking others, enabling controlled dispensing without container access. This intermediary mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing both security (closed container) and accessibility (controlled dispensing).
2Ease of operation
If the pill container is opened frequently to retrieve pills, then the user can access the required dosage, but the user experiences difficulty and inconvenience especially with poor dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
Pills are pre-loaded into the spool slots during manufacturing or initial setup, organizing them by type and size. The metering sleeve is pre-configured with openings corresponding to specific pill dimensions. When a user needs a pill, the appropriate slot is already prepared and accessible through the metering mechanism, eliminating the time-consuming process of opening the container and searching for the correct pill.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables self-service pill dispensing through an automated mechanism. Users simply rotate the spool to bring the desired slot into position, and the metering sleeve automatically controls pill release. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual container opening and closing, significantly reducing time loss and improving ease of operation for users with varying dexterity.
3Productivity
If the pill container is opened and closed constantly, then the user can retrieve the necessary dosage, but the mechanical wear and potential contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metering sleeve serves as a mediator that enables high-speed pill dispensing without requiring container opening. It controls pill flow through its selectively positioned openings, allowing rapid access to different pill types while the container remains securely closed. This intermediary mechanism maintains reliability by eliminating repeated mechanical stress on the container lid and seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool and metering sleeve mechanism enables continuous pill dispensing action without interruption. As the spool rotates, pills are continuously fed through the metering openings to the dispensing point. This continuous action eliminates the stop-start nature of opening and closing the container, improving both productivity and reliability by maintaining a steady, controlled dispensing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A pill dispenser for use with a pill container. The present invention describes a dispensing apparatus for a pill container comprising a housing, a rotatable closure to which a pill container may be mounted in an inverted orientation, a hopper for collecting pills emptied from the pill container into the housing, and a rotatable spool that is adapted to receive pills from the hopper. The spool comprises one or more slots that are sized to receive pills of various sizes and shapes. A metering sleeve rotatably disposed around the spool selectively covers all but one of the slots of the spool. Users can select the setting of the metering sleeve corresponding to the size and shape of the pill that they are seeking to dispense, ensuring that a single pill is received in the corresponding slot of the spool.