Asymmetric Child-Resistant Lid with Button Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant containers are bulky, costly to manufacture, and lack discretion due to their circular design, making them difficult to use and easily identifiable as containing medications or substances, which is not desirable for users.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant container with a longitudinally extending lid that opens by moving a button to disengage an edge portion of an upper member from a lower member, allowing the distal end to rotate away, exposing an aperture, featuring a resilient member and abutment mechanism for secure closure and easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a circular cap or lid is used for child-resistant container, then child-resistant effectiveness is achieved, but the container becomes bulky and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by changing the lid shape from a traditional circular form to a non-circular form that fits the rectangular container body. This asymmetric design allows the lid to maintain child-resistant functionality while reducing overall container volume and eliminating bulkiness associated with circular caps.
2Reliability
If a circular cap or lid is used for child-resistant container, then child-resistant effectiveness is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric non-circular lid design allows for more efficient manufacturing processes compared to traditional circular caps. The shape better conforms to the container body, reducing material waste and simplifying assembly operations, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining child-resistant effectiveness.
3Reliability
If traditional child-resistant containers are used, then security is provided, but discretion is lost as others can presume medication contents
Solution Approach 1:
The non-circular, asymmetric lid design breaks the traditional association between child-resistant containers and medication storage. The unique shape makes the container less recognizable as a typical medicine container, thereby providing discretion to users while maintaining the security and child-resistant functionality of the container.
4Reliability
If complex lock configuration is used in child-resistant lid, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lid mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components including a button for initiating opening, a resilient member for providing locking force, and a protrusion for engaging with the container body. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, maintaining security while improving ease of operation through clear, separated actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member automatically provides the locking force needed to secure the lid, eliminating the need for complex manual locking mechanisms. The button simply needs to be pressed to release the pre-loaded resilient member, which then automatically engages or disengages the protrusion, providing self-service security functionality that is both secure and easy to operate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a compact, discreet, and effective child-resistant container that is easy to use while maintaining high security, with a 94% child-resistant effectiveness rate, reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating bulkiness.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member engaging the abutment
Implementation Method 2
a hinge rotatably engaging the lower member wherein the distal end of the upper member rotates towards the lower member when the lid is in a closed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A lid opens and closes a container which has first walls forming an interior. The lid includes a lower member and an upper member. The lower member has a plurality of edges forming an aperture for accessing the interior of the container when the lid is in an open configuration. The upper member has a distal end; a hinge rotatably engaging the lower member wherein the distal end of the upper member rotates towards the lower member when the lid is in a closed configuration, and wherein the distal end rotates away from the lower member when the lid is in the open configuration; a downwardly extending second wall for closing the aperture when the lid is in the closed configuration, and for opening the aperture when the lid is in the open configuration; an abutment; a resilient member engaging the abutment; and a protrusion coupled to the resilient member and engaging a first edge of the lower member when the lid is in the closed configuration; and a button coupled to the resilient member, with the button in a first position for applying a force to the resilient member to move the protrusion away from the first edge to place the lid in the open configuration, and the button in a second position for not applying the force to the resilient member, wherein a restorative force of the resilient member against the abutment causes the protrusion to engage the first edge to place the lid in the closed configuration.