Beverage Closure Deformable Latch for Material Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic beverage closures face challenges in reducing material usage while maintaining performance, particularly in achieving a secure seal and tamper evidence without compromising rigidity or increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The closure design positions the engaging tab between the grip tab and the top wall, allowing the shell to engage a tamper-evidence bead around its entire periphery, and incorporates a deformable latch with a living hinge for enhanced rigidity and material efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If material usage is reduced to lower manufacturing costs and waste, then environmental sustainability and cost efficiency improve, but closure performance and structural rigidity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The closure employs varying wall thicknesses in different regions: thinner walls in non-critical areas and thicker walls where structural strength is needed (such as the engaging tab and hinge regions). This localized quality optimization reduces overall material usage while maintaining necessary performance characteristics in critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure is divided into distinct functional segments with optimized material distribution. The engaging tab, hinge elements, and main body are designed as separate functional zones with tailored thickness profiles, allowing material to be concentrated where needed and reduced where not required, thus resolving the contradiction between material reduction and strength maintenance.
2Loss of substance
If the engaging tab is made shallower to save material, then material usage decreases, but engagement rigidity with the container neck deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging tab is designed with non-uniform thickness: shallower and thinner in regions where material savings are prioritized, but with reinforced thickness at the engagement interface with the container neck. This localized quality variation maintains engagement rigidity where critical while reducing material in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure utilizes a single plastic material with varied density and thickness distribution to achieve composite-like performance. By strategically varying the material distribution within the engaging tab structure, the design achieves both material reduction and maintained engagement stability without requiring multiple materials.
3Loss of substance
If reinforcing ribs are removed to save material, then material usage and manufacturing complexity decrease, but structural rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and eliminates the separate reinforcing ribs feature that was present in conventional closures. Instead of adding discrete reinforcement elements, the structural strength is achieved through the integrated varying thickness design of the closure body itself, thereby removing unnecessary complexity and material.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural reinforcement function previously provided by separate ribs is merged into the main body geometry through varying wall thicknesses. This integration eliminates the need for distinct reinforcing elements while maintaining the rigidity function, thus reducing both material usage and manufacturing complexity.
4Reliability
If the shell engages the tamper-evidence bead around its entire periphery, then tamper evidence reliability improves, but the closure design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shell is designed with a universal engagement mechanism that interacts with the tamper-evidence bead around the entire periphery. This multi-functional engagement provides comprehensive tamper evidence coverage while using a relatively simple cam-based mechanism that avoids excessive design complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tamper-evidence bead is pre-formed on the container neck before closure application. The shell's engagement features are pre-configured to interact with this pre-existing bead, allowing the closure to provide comprehensive periphery engagement and tamper evidence without requiring complex assembly or additional components during the closing process.
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
This design enables a more rigid engagement between the lid and the container neck, reduces the need for reinforcing ribs, and allows for a shallower engaging tab, thereby saving material while maintaining effective sealing and tamper evidence.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of spaced hinge elements pivotally connecting the top wall of the lid to the shell
Implementation Method 2
The hinge line may be configured to create a predefined or preferential deformation of the side wall. This predefined or preferential deformation can be configured to facilitate the disengagement, or unlatching, of the engaging tab from the lip of the container.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A closure (1) with a shell (2) for securement to a container neck (11) and a lid (3) pivotally connected to the shell (2) by a pair of hinge elements (6). A hinge line (50) in the side wall (5) delineates a deformable latch (8) having an external grip tab (80) and an internal 5 engaging tab (82) between the grip tab (80) and a top wall (4) of the lid (3). The grip tab (80) extends radially from a side wall (5) of the lid (3) and the engaging tab (82) engages a lip (13) surrounding the mouth of the container neck (11). The deformable latch (8) is configured to deform along the hinge line (50) when an opening force is applied to the grip tab (80), thereby to disengage the engaging tab (82) from the lip (13) of the container neck 10 (11).