Test Strip Holder Discharge Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test strip handling mechanisms often result in multiple strips being discharged simultaneously, leading to damage and inefficiencies due to mechanical interference.
Innovation Solution
A test strip holder design with a rotating member and sorting mechanism that ensures each strip is discharged individually, using sliding projections and sorting pieces to prevent multiple strips from being discharged together, and a door mechanism to control access to the holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple drum container with an in-drum claw portion is used to discharge test strips, then the device complexity is reduced, but multiple test strips may be discharged simultaneously causing damage and reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge mechanism is segmented into multiple functional components: a rotating member with multiple sorting pieces arranged radially, each sorting piece having a pushing portion and a holding portion. This segmentation allows individual control and discharge of each test strip through the rotating member's rotation, ensuring one-by-one discharge while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
2Reliability
If a partitioning plate is used to flatten stacked test strips, then the test strips are taken out one-by-one, but shavings are formed due to contact between the partitioning plate and test strip
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the stacked test strips and the discharge location. Instead of directly contacting and pushing the test strips with a flat partitioning plate, the rotating member with its sorting pieces gradually engages and guides each test strip through rotation, eliminating direct scraping contact and preventing shaving formation while maintaining controlled one-by-one discharge.
3Productivity
If test strips are discharged simultaneously, then the productivity increases, but damage occurs to the test strips due to mechanical interference
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating member performs periodic rotation to discharge test strips in a controlled sequence. Each rotation cycle discharges one test strip through the coordinated action of sorting pieces, creating a periodic discharge pattern that maintains test strip quality by avoiding simultaneous discharge while achieving continuous operation and sustained productivity through repeated cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
A test strip holder (10) includes: a holding member (20) at which at least a portion of a lower side of an inner periphery is a cylindrical surface (22) having a cylindrical shape, and at whose interior a test strip (90) is held, and at which a direction of a central axis (15) of the cylindrical surface (22) is a horizontal direction or a direction inclined with respect to a vertical direction; an opening portion (24) provided in an outer surface of the holding member (20); a sorting member (31) rotating at the interior of the holding member (20) around a rotation axis that coincides with the central axis (15); a pushing piece (33) projecting out from a distal end edge (32), which is parallel to the central axis (15), at the sorting member (31) in a direction of rotation of the sorting member (31); and a sorting piece (34) projecting out from a distal end of the pushing piece (33) toward the cylindrical surface (22).