Breakaway Tab Cap for Tool-Free BB Shot Dispensing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing containers with frustoconical caps require users to cut openings, posing risks of injury and resulting in inconsistent dispensing due to the need for sharp tools and the difficulty in forming precise openings.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a breakaway tab on the container cap that can be easily removed without tools, allowing for controlled and accurate opening by concentrating shear forces at pre-designed cutouts, facilitating safe and precise dispensing of contents.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a frustoconical cap with sealed spout is used, then the container is easy to manufacture and store, but the user must use sharp tools to cut an opening, increasing injury risk and requiring precise cutting skill

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of openingVSAvoidinjury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the sealing function from the cap spout by introducing a separate breakaway tab that can be easily removed. The tab is attached to the spout via a weakened section that allows clean separation, extracting the dangerous cutting operation from the user and transferring it to a pre-designed breakaway mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming a weakened section in the tab during manufacturing. This weakened section includes reduced material thickness and/or discontinuities that concentrate stress, so that when the user applies force to remove the tab, the breakage occurs predictably at the pre-designed location rather than requiring the user to create the opening from scratch.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the cap spout is sealed during manufacturing, then the container maintains product freshness and prevents contamination, but the opening process requires cutting tools and produces inconsistent opening sizes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct protectionVSAvoidopening size consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cap structure into distinct functional parts: the main cap body, the spout, and the breakaway tab. The tab is connected via a weakened section that acts as a predetermined failure point. This segmentation allows the opening function to be separated from the protective sealing function, enabling consistent opening sizes through controlled breakage at the weakened section rather than unpredictable cutting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If the cap is made of hard and slippery plastic for durability, then the container is strong and reusable, but the material is difficult to cut and requires sharp tools

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecap durabilityVSAvoidopening creation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a weakened section with different material properties than the rest of the cap. The weakened section has reduced material thickness and/or includes discontinuities that concentrate stress, making it specifically designed to break easily under applied force. This allows the main cap body to remain strong and durable while the localized weakened section provides easy, tool-free opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of operation

If a breakaway tab is added to the cap spout, then tool-free opening is enabled and opening consistency is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening easeVSAvoidcap structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the breakaway tab with the cap spout structure, making them integral components of the same molded piece. The tab is attached to the spout via a weakened section that is formed as part of the cap manufacturing process. This integration minimizes additional complexity while providing the desired breakaway functionality, as the tab and spout are produced in a single molding operation rather than requiring separate assembly steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enables safe, tool-free opening and precise dispensing of contents, reducing the risk of injury and ensuring consistent opening sizes, while maintaining minimal production costs and ease of use, even with one hand or while wearing gloves.

Implementation Method 1

The at least one cutout produces weakened points between the tab and spout to facilitate breaking of the tab away from the spout by pushing against the tab

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShear stress concentration: Shear Stress

Data Source

PatentUS8672165B2Containers with dispensing cap and methods of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 SPHERICAL PRECISION

AI summary

A container may have a breakaway tab forming an opening to dispense the contents. The container may be used for BB shot. The breakaway tab can have two opposing flat surfaces that extend upward away from the spout, and at least one cutout. The at least one cut out may be aligned with the flat opposing surfaces. The at least one cutout may facilitate easy removal of the tab to form a clean opening that is configured for proper dispensing of the contents.