Prescription Cap With Removable Voice Module for Standard Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recordable devices for pharmaceutical containers alter the packaging profile, causing storage and shipping issues, and are not suitable for use by bottle manufacturers due to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A cap with a removably affixed recordable device that maintains the standard packaging profile, allowing reuse across multiple containers, featuring a snap fit mechanism and external activation switches for recording and playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a recordable device is adhered to the top or bottom of the bottle, then the patient can be alerted to medication contents and timing, but the packaging profile is altered causing storage and shipping issues
Solution Approach 1:
The recording device is nested within the cap structure, specifically housed in the hollow interior space of the cap. This allows the recording device to be contained within the existing cap dimensions without protruding outward, thereby maintaining the standard bottle profile while still providing the medication reminder function. The cap acts as a container for the recording device, similar to how nested dolls contain one another within limited space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed to serve multiple functions: it closes the bottle, provides structural support, houses the recording device, and maintains the standard packaging profile. By integrating the recording device into the cap rather than adding it as a separate component, the cap becomes a multi-functional element that eliminates the need for additional external attachments while preserving the original bottle dimensions.
2Reliability
If a recordable device is added to the container, then medication alerts can be provided, but shipping and storage costs increase due to altered packaging profile
Solution Approach 1:
The recording device and cap are merged into a single integrated assembly. The cap is designed with an interior space that accommodates the recording device, and the two components are connected through a shared structure rather than being separate attachable elements. This merging eliminates the need for additional shipping space and handling for separate recording device attachments, thereby reducing manufacturing and logistics costs while maintaining the medication alert function.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a recordable device is removably affixed to the cap, then the device can be reused with multiple containers, but the cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into distinct functional zones: an interior hollow space for housing the recording device, a connection interface with complementary snap rings and slots for removable attachment, and an exterior surface maintaining the standard profile. This segmentation allows the recording device to be easily removed and transferred to another cap while keeping the overall cap structure relatively simple and modular.
Data Source
AI summary
A container system with a recordable device having a substantially unaltered packaging profile when compared to standard commercially available prescription containers. The container includes a bottle having a cylindrical body having a length greater than its width. A cap is provided with an inclined spiral or helical land and stops to permit it to be affixed to the container. The cap is equipped with a snap fit ring or a fitting on its underside. A recording device is configured with a land or snap ring removably engageable with the snap fit ring on the underside of the cap. The cap has an aperture to accommodate a recording switch on the recording device. The cap is provided with a speaker switch aperture to permit the user to activate the message on the recording device to hear about the contents of the bottle.