Three-Chamber Capsule Piston Mixing Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current three-component mixing systems face challenges in storing reactive components with stability while allowing easy production of a mixed substance in few steps, often leading to unwanted mixing, evaporation, or contamination, and lack compatibility with automatic mixing machines for reproducible and homogeneous mixing.

Innovation Solution

A three-chamber capsule system with sequentially openable chambers and a piston mechanism that pierces membranes to mix components, ensuring tight sealing and compatibility with standard mixing devices for controlled mixing and dispensing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If three components are stored separately in capsule chambers, then storage stability is improved, but mixing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage stabilityVSAvoidmixing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule is divided into three separate chambers, each storing one reactive component separately. This segmentation maintains storage stability by preventing unwanted interactions between components while allowing controlled mixing when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A piston mechanism acts as an intermediary to transfer and mix the three separately stored components. The piston sequentially moves through each chamber, picking up components and transferring them to a mixing chamber, thereby simplifying the mixing process despite separate storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If chambers are sealed to prevent contamination, then purity is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidchamber opening ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule is designed as a disposable single-use device. The sealed chambers remain intact during storage and are opened only once during application. After use, the entire capsule is discarded, eliminating the need for complex reopening mechanisms or sterilization procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

All preparation steps including sealing the chambers with components are performed in advance during manufacturing. The capsule is delivered ready-to-use with pre-sealed chambers, so no complex opening or sealing operations are needed at the point of use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If sequential mixing is implemented, then mixing precision is improved, but process time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemixing precisionVSAvoidmixing process time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The piston combines multiple functions into a single mechanism: it transfers components from storage chambers, introduces them sequentially into the mixing chamber, and simultaneously mixes them. This merging of functions achieves precise sequential mixing without requiring separate time-consuming steps for each operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4210624B1Three-chamber-capsule application system for medical applications
Publication Date: 2024.04.17 UNIVERSITY OF ROSTOCK
  • EP4210624B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4210624B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP4210624B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The three-chamber-capsule application system can be combined to form a three-chamber capsule which has three delimited chambers for storing and mixing reactive substances, in particular for medical and dental applications. The chambers are tight and prevent undesired ingress or leakage of the substances stored therein, as well as premature reaction of the substances with one another or with the ambient atmosphere. The chambers can also be opened sequentially with the simplest of hand movements so that the substances can be mixed, and in particular satisfy the requirements of a medical or dental application in the clinical setting of a practice or dental practice. The system is also compatible with commercially available mixing machines.