Staggered Housing Dosing Device with Sliding Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for metering small objects, such as granules or tablets, are cumbersome and require users to return excess objects, leading to hygiene issues and inefficiency in dispensing precise doses.
Innovation Solution
A compact device with a plate featuring staggered rows of housings and a pull tab mechanism that allows for precise selection of objects, enabling users to extract the exact number of objects desired without having to count or return excess items, using a drive mechanism that facilitates simultaneous movement of tabs to uncover specific numbers of housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single row of compartments is used with a single zipper, then the device structure is simple, but the device length becomes excessive and is cumbersome to use
Solution Approach 1:
The single row of compartments is segmented into multiple parallel rows (first row, second row, etc.). Each row can be independently covered or uncovered by its own zipper section, allowing the dosing device to achieve the same dosing capacity in a more compact, shorter configuration while maintaining structural simplicity through modular repetition.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartments are arranged in parallel rows along the longitudinal axis rather than a single linear row. This dimensional reorganization allows the same number of compartments to be distributed across multiple rows, reducing the overall length of the device while preserving the total dosing capacity and operational simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If each row can be fully covered or uncovered, then the device is simple to operate, but only multiples of the number of compartments per row can be dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing device divides the compartments into multiple independent rows, each with its own zipper control. This segmentation allows the user to selectively uncover individual rows or combinations of rows, enabling precise control over the number of compartments opened. The user can achieve any dosing quantity from 1 to the total number of compartments by combining different row configurations, not just multiples of a single row count.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper mechanism is made dynamically adjustable, allowing partial opening of rows rather than forcing a complete open/close state. Each zipper can be positioned at different locations along its track, enabling the user to uncover exactly the number of compartments needed. This dynamic control transforms the system from static (all-or-nothing row coverage) to flexible (variable coverage), while maintaining ease of operation through simple zipper manipulation.
3Device complexity
If excess items must be put back into the container, then the device structure is simple, but hygiene concerns arise and user effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical action of manually returning excess items to the container is replaced by a precisely controlled dosing mechanism. The zipper system allows the user to uncover exactly the number of compartments needed, eliminating the need to handle and return excess items. This substitution of the manual return mechanism with a controlled revelation mechanism prevents contamination while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary dosing by having compartments pre-filled and ready for dispensing. The user simply needs to uncover the appropriate number of compartments using the zipper mechanism, and the exact dose is immediately available. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for post-dosing actions (returning excess items), preventing hygiene issues and reducing user effort.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5B
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for dosing or counting objects, comprising: a plate (1) provided with a plurality of recesses (10), each suitable for receiving a single object, said recesses being arranged in at least two series of at least two rows (R1-R2; R3-R4) disposed in parallel along a longitudinal axis (X), such that the recesses in a first row (R1; R3) of one series (R1-R2; R3-R4) are offset longitudinally relative to the recesses in the second row (R2; R4) of the same series by a non-zero pitch (P); and a pull element (2) arranged to slide relative to the plate (1) along the longitudinal axis (X), said pull element comprising at least two adjacent tongues (20, 21; 2001-2003), each designed to cover or reveal a corresponding series of rows, said tongues (20, 21) being arranged to slide relative to one another over a distance equal to the pitch (P) and being coupled by a drive mechanism configured such that the sliding of the pull element (2) along the longitudinal axis over a distance greater than the pitch (P) causes the simultaneous movement of the two tongues (20, 21).