Tablet Dispensing Carousel for Moisture-Protected Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dissolvable cleaning tablets face issues with dissolution in moist environments, require touch-free handling, and often result in wasteful, non-recyclable storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
A carousel assembly with a lid and advancement mechanism for storing and dispensing dissolvable tablets, featuring a base, lid, and tablet wand holder, which allows for touch-free access and recyclable storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If dissolvable tablets are stored in an open container for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but the tablets dissolve prematurely due to moisture exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a lid that can be opened to expose a single tablet while keeping the rest covered, creating a protective barrier against moisture. The lid acts as a flexible shell that selectively exposes the tablet only when needed, preventing premature dissolution while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage container is segmented into multiple compartments or positions, each holding a single tablet. This segmentation allows the lid to be opened to access only one tablet at a time, leaving other tablets protected from moisture exposure in their respective compartments.
2Reliability
If a storage container is designed to protect tablets from moisture, then reliability is improved, but the container becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lid serves as a simple yet effective protective barrier that prevents moisture from reaching the tablets. This thin film approach provides reliable protection without requiring complex sealing mechanisms or multiple layers of protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid acts as an intermediary element between the environment and the tablets. It provides a simple interface that protects the tablets from moisture while allowing easy access when needed, without introducing complex mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If dissolvable tablets are made touch-free for hygiene, then ease of operation is improved, but the handling mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the user to select and retrieve a tablet through the lid aperture without requiring complex mechanical dispensing mechanisms. The user simply opens the lid, accesses the tablet directly, and closes the lid, making the system self-servicing and minimizing mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tablet is extracted from the protected storage space through the lid aperture only when needed. This extraction method allows touch-free handling by minimizing contact between the user and the tablet, while avoiding the need for complex automated dispensing mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a storage container is made recyclable and refillable, then environmental sustainability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage container is designed as a refillable system where the main container can be reused and tablets can be replaced. This segmentation allows the durable container to be manufactured once and reused, while only the tablets are discarded, simplifying manufacturing and improving recyclability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to recover and reuse the storage container multiple times, while only the consumable tablets are discarded. This approach improves environmental sustainability by reducing waste from single-use containers, while the container's simple design keeps manufacturing complexity low.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing product for storing a plurality of cleaning product tablets and individually dispensing them on demand that has a carousel assembly, a base, a lid, and an advancement mechanism. The carousel assembly has a plurality of depressions sized and configured to receive tablets. The base is underneath the carousel assembly. The lid is on top of the carousel and contains an aperture sized and configured such that a tablet can be withdrawn through the aperture. The advancement mechanism is connected to the carousel assembly and advances the carousel assembly rotationally.