Aseptic Closure Hinge Layout for Protected Pouring Mouthpieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container closures face challenges in providing aseptic protection of the pouring area due to leaky hinge locations and require significant plastic material, limiting design space and being difficult to install in filling lines.
Innovation Solution
A container closure design with a cap part connected by a hinge to a base part, featuring an anchor wall extending radially outside the outer wall and a bridge connecting it to the cap part, ensuring aseptic protection by separating the hinge from the outer wall and allowing sufficient design freedom for the pouring area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap part has a high inner skirt to provide aseptic protection, then sealing performance is improved, but the design space for the drinking part is limited and volume is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is extracted from the traditional location within the cap part wall thickness and repositioned to an external location on the outer surface of the cap part. This allows the inner skirt to extend fully without being compromised by hinge space requirements, maintaining both aseptic sealing and optimal drinking part design space
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge arrangement moves from a radial/axial configuration within the cap wall to an external configuration on the outer surface, utilizing the external dimensional space. This dimensional relocation resolves the conflict between inner skirt height and hinge space requirements
2Ease of manufacture
If the hinge is arranged in a notch in the outer wall of the cap part, then connection is simplified, but a non-aseptic annular cavity is created that is difficult to rinse
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is extracted from the cap part wall structure and repositioned to the external outer surface. This eliminates the creation of internal annular cavities that trap contaminants, while the hinge connection remains simple through attachment to the outer surface geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The outer surface of the cap part serves as an intermediary location for the hinge attachment. This mediator position allows the hinge to connect the cap part to the base part without creating contaminated cavities within the pouring area, as the hinge operates externally to the sealed interior space
3Reliability
If an external hinge arrangement projects radially outwardly from the cap part and base part, then aseptic protection is ensured, but a lot of radial space is required and it is sensitive to shock
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is positioned at a specific location on the outer surface of the cap part rather than projecting radially outward from both cap and base parts. This localized external arrangement maintains aseptic protection while reducing the radial projection distance, thereby decreasing sensitivity to shock and impact forces
4Device complexity
If the pivot axis of the hinge is close to the outer wall, then the hinge structure is compact, but the leg movement of the cap part is insufficient for container closure with axially extending drinking part
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge pivot axis is positioned on the outer surface of the cap part, utilizing the external dimensional space rather than being constrained within the wall thickness. This allows the cap part to achieve sufficient leg movement for proper closure operation while maintaining a compact overall hinge structure on the external surface
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a container closure including a base portion, a pouring region having a peripheral wall that extends about a reference axis of the container closure, and a cap portion which is connected to the base portion by means of a hinge. The cap portion has a base, a peripheral outer wall which extends axially from the base to a peripheral lower edge of the cap portion, and an anchoring wall which extends outside the outer wall and at a radial distance from said outer wall, and which is connected to the lower edge of the cap portion by means of a bridge of the cap portion that extends radially outwards from the lower edge of the cap portion.