Breakable Bridge Cap for Medicine Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicine container stopping devices are complex, expensive, and difficult for inexperienced users or the elderly to open, as they often require lateral tearing or rotational forces, and may break, posing a risk of injury.
Innovation Solution
A stopping device with a plastic cap and ring connected by breakable bridges that can be easily removed by applying a force parallel to the central axis, allowing for simple and intuitive access to the contents, with dimensions preventing fraudulent manipulation before removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal capsule with membrane is used to seal the bottle, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but the capsule may break requiring manual removal which poses cutting risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the durable metal capsule with a disposable plastic capsule that is designed to be easily broken and removed without posing safety risks. The plastic capsule achieves the hermetic sealing function during storage but can be safely destroyed by the user after use, eliminating the cutting hazard associated with metal capsules.
2Device complexity
If a plastic capsule is used to isolate the stopper, then the structure is simplified, but the capsule limits access to the stopper requiring destruction for removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the plastic capsule into two functional parts: a protective shell that provides isolation and a breakable connection zone that allows easy separation. This segmentation enables the capsule to maintain structural integrity during storage while providing simple access to the stopper by breaking only the connection bridges, not the entire capsule.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the stopper from the capsule through a controlled breaking mechanism. The breakable bridges are designed to fail under minimal force, allowing the stopper to be removed from the capsule without destroying the entire capsule structure, thus maintaining simplicity while enabling easy access.
3Reliability
If a cover secured to a key is used for maneuvering the ring, then the ring can be locked on the neck, but lateral tearing is required for removal which is delicate for inexperienced users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional opening mechanism by designing the breakable bridges to fail under axial compression rather than requiring lateral tearing or rotational forces. Users simply press the cover axially toward the bottle, causing the bridges to break and the cover to separate, which is much easier for inexperienced users than lateral tearing maneuvers.
4Ease of operation
If a continuous rupture line is formed between cover and ring, then the cap can be opened, but the line is difficult for inexperienced users or elderly persons to break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection between cover and ring into multiple discrete bridges rather than a continuous rupture line. Each bridge is independently breakable and requires minimal force, making it easier for inexperienced users and elderly persons compared to breaking a continuous line which requires concentrated high force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the breakable connection by creating thin bridges with specific dimensions (width less than 0.3mm, height greater than 0.15mm). These parameter changes reduce the breaking force required while maintaining the structural integrity of the cap during normal use.
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 device allows for quick and easy removal of the cap, ensuring user safety and preventing unauthorized access to the contents, while reducing the risk of injury and complexity compared to existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
the bridges (27) (which connect the cover (26) to the ring (25)) are breakable using a force parallel to a central axis of the ring and oriented toward the stopper
Implementation Method 2
the cover undergoes an elastic deformation force by the stopper, which makes it possible to eject the cover from the ring of the cap easily once the breakable part is broken
Data Source
AI summary
A stopping device, comprising a stopper and a plastic cap to cover a container's neck with the stopper in the neck, the cap comprising a cover and a ring surrounding the stopper and the neck when mounted onto the neck, the ring and cover being produced as a single component connected by at least one part breakable by a force parallel to a central axis of the ring directed towards the stopper, the cover having an element resting against the stopper, the breakable part having bridges extending between an outer radial edge of the cover and an inner radial edge of the ring, and a channel in an arc of a circle defined between two adjacent bridges, the length of the cover's outer radial edge and the length of the rings inner radial edge, the channel having radial width smaller than 0.3 mm and axial height more than 0.15 mm.