Child-Resistant Pill Packaging with Automatic Elastic Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current child-resistant packaging for pills is cumbersome for elderly or handicapped individuals, often requiring excessive manipulation and not automatically sealing after use, leading to potential unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant pill packaging design featuring a moveable wall connected to an elastic means, requiring two simultaneous actions to release a pill, with an elastic loop and grasping means for easy handling, ensuring automatic repositioning to obstruct access once a pill is released.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If child-resistant packaging requires simultaneous pressure and rotation movements, then child safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for elderly or handicapped persons
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a stopper requiring two-handed manipulation for opening, and an automatic closure system that operates independently. This segmentation allows the child-safety function to be isolated in the opening mechanism while the automatic closure handles the sealing function, reducing overall operational complexity for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging employs preliminary action through its automatic closure system that immediately seals the container as soon as the stopper is removed or opened. This automatic sealing action occurs before any potential misuse can occur, ensuring continuous protection without requiring the user to manually reclose the packaging after each use.
2Reliability
If manual reclosure is required after each use, then child safety is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system performs self-service through its automatic closure mechanism that automatically seals the container as soon as the stopper is removed. This eliminates the need for manual reclosure operations, allowing the packaging to maintain continuous security autonomously without consuming the user's time or requiring additional manual actions.
3Reliability
If the packaging structure is made complex to ensure child resistance, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging design merges the child-resistance function and automatic closure function into a single integrated stopper mechanism. The stopper simultaneously provides the two-handed opening requirement for child safety and triggers the automatic closure system, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining both safety functions.
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
The packaging effectively prevents unauthorized access by children while being accessible and easy to use for elderly individuals, ensuring secure and convenient medication management.
Implementation Method 1
a moveable wall (4) that is connected to an elastic means (5)... the moveable wall being designed to adopt two positions, namely one position for the release of at least one pill and an obstructing position designed to enclose at least one seal
Data Source
AI summary
A secure package (1) intended to receive a blister (3) including at least one tablet located in a dimple (3a) closed by a seal (3b). The package (1) includes a packaging (2) with longitudinal axis of symmetry (X, X′), defining a lower space in which a movable wall (4) is located connected to a resilient feature (5). The packaging (2) includes at least one upper wall (2a) which includes at least a first opening (7) intended to receive the dimple (3a), the movable wall (4) and the upper wall (2a) defining a recess intended for positioning of the blister (3), the moving wall being intended to adopt two positions, namely a release position for releasing at least one tablet and a closed position intended to close off at least one seal (3b), while the moving wall (4) includes at least one second opening (8) which comes to be positioned opposite a first opening (7), namely intended to come to be positioned opposite a seal (3b), when the moving wall (4) is in the release position.