Green Team |
University of Maine |
2010 MET Senior Design Project |
Design |
To effectively crush pills our design utilizes the helical screw mechanism from a Yankee screwdriver. The collar of the screwdriver is press fit into the fabricated housing, which is in turn bolted in place of the original top jaw of the Orange X Professional juicer that we purchased. The moveable rod of the juicer is held in a hole in the top of the housing with a set screw and was hollowed out to allow the helix to slide up inside of it. A spring placed around the helix provides extra pressure and ensures the helix returns to resting position after contracting. The male jaw is attached to the end of the helix with a roll pin and is tapered to fit inside a standard medicine cup. A female jaw with a corresponding slot for a medicine cup was fabricated to fit inside the existing bottom jaw of the juicer. Mechanism Assembly: |
Below is a video of our pill crusher in operation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeVMpKBP14 Modifications To Standard Parts And Juicer: |
Home |
Team Members |
Design Specifications |
Benchmarking |
Concept Testing |
Original Design |
Force Testing |
Final Design |
Fabrication |
Competition |
Problem: Press fit between the helix and the male jaw was not strong enough to support the forces involved. Solution: Connect the helix and male jaw with a roll pin Problem: High friction in the helix and helix collar Solution: Lubricate the helix and collar with oil |