Sample Container Cap with Sliding Inner Lid and Rotating Shutter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reagent containers have a complex structure and require a large space due to their design, which leads to interference when multiple containers are arranged together.
Innovation Solution
A sample container with a cap that includes an outer lid, an inner lid, a translating unit, a shutter, and a compression spring, where the inner lid's sliding movement is translated into the shutter's rotation, allowing for efficient dispensing and evaporation suppression with a minimal number of parts and reduced spatial requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid rotates laterally upward from the cap-sealing position, then the container can be opened for dispensing, but the structure becomes complicated and requires a large arrangement space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the lid upward from the sealing position, the invention inverts the approach by having the inner lid slide downward from an initial position to open the shutter. This reverse motion sequence simplifies the structure by eliminating complex rotation mechanisms while achieving the same dispensing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner lid is nested within the outer lid, with the shutter mechanism integrated inside the cap assembly. This nesting allows the dispensing mechanism to be compact and self-contained, reducing both structural complexity and arrangement space while maintaining operational functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the lid rotates outward of the container when viewed from above, then dispensing is enabled, but a large space must be secured to prevent interference with adjacent containers
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the opening motion direction: instead of rotating outward, the inner lid slides inward/downward to open the shutter. This reverses the spatial requirement, allowing containers to be arranged closely without lateral interference while maintaining dispensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the dimension of motion from lateral rotation (horizontal plane) to vertical sliding. By moving the inner lid in the vertical dimension rather than horizontal rotation, the container footprint is reduced, allowing tighter arrangement without interference between adjacent containers.
3Reliability
If a compression spring is used as the pressing member, then stable spring force is exerted regardless of shutter position, but the structure becomes slightly more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The compression spring is positioned to automatically exert force on the shutter throughout its entire range of motion. The spring's placement between the translating unit and shutter allows it to self-regulate and maintain stable force without additional control mechanisms, achieving reliability through simple self-service design.
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 solution provides a simple structure with fewer parts, allowing for stable operation and compact arrangement, preventing interference between containers, even when multiple are placed side by side, such as in an automatic analyzer.
Implementation Method 1
the pressing member is a compression spring arranged between the shutter and the translating member
Data Source
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AI summary
A sample container (1) includes a cap (3) that covers a container body (2) holding a liquid sample containing a reagent and a test body. The cap (3) includes an outer lid (31) that covers the container body, an inner lid (32) that is slidably attached to the outer lid and has an opening (32a) for dispensing the liquid sample, a shutter (34) that has a shaft engaging with the inner lid, a translating unit (33) that is fitted to the outer lid and translates sliding movements of the inner lid against the outer lid to rotation of the shutter around the shaft, and a pressing member (35) that presses the shutter in a direction to close the shutter. The rotation of the shutter opens and closes a hole (33c) formed in the translating unit (33) for dispensing the liquid sample.