Bottle Cap Retaining Ring Hinge for Tethered Opening Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing caps with retaining rings and hinges for bottles are complicated to manufacture, costly, and prone to accidental separation, leading to improper disposal and spillage issues.
Innovation Solution
A cap design featuring a retaining ring with a lateral wall, transversal wall, and a separation line that creates a stable hinge arrangement using connecting bands and a tab to keep the closing element locked to the neck, simplifying production and preventing accidental separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap is designed with a retaining ring to anchor to the locking ring of the neck, then the cap remains anchored to the neck when the closing element is in the open condition, but the structure becomes more complex requiring additional components like connecting bands and tabs
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into functionally independent portions: a retaining ring for anchoring to the neck, a closing element for sealing, and connecting bands that link these portions. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall system reliability without requiring a completely complex integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining ring is positioned within the lateral wall of the cap, and the connecting bands are integrated into the cap structure rather than being separate external components. This nested arrangement reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining the anchoring function.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connecting bands are made by an incision line in the lateral wall, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the structural strength of the cap may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The incision line is designed as a segmented feature with first and second lateral stretches rather than a continuous cut. This segmentation allows the cap to be manufactured through a simplified single-piece forming process while maintaining structural strength by preserving material continuity at the boundaries of each stretch.
Solution Approach 2:
The incision line is positioned specifically in the lateral wall away from critical load-bearing areas. The first and second lateral stretches are arranged to create connecting bands only where needed for the retaining function, while other areas of the lateral wall maintain full structural integrity.
3Ease of operation
If the tab is positioned between the first and second connecting bands to rest on the neck beyond the locking ring, then the closing element can be held in the open condition, but the device complexity increases with additional elements
Solution Approach 1:
The tab is merged with the connecting bands as an integrated feature of the lateral wall incision rather than being a separate component. This combining allows the tab to perform its function of resting on the neck to hold the closing element in the open condition while avoiding the complexity of additional discrete parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab serves multiple functions: it acts as a stopper to hold the closing element in the open condition, provides a visual indicator of the open state, and is structurally integrated with the connecting bands. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described is a combination of a closing cap (1') for a container (2) and a neck (201) of the container (2), wherein the cap (1') comprises a lateral wall (3) extending about an axis (Z) and a transversal wall (4) positioned at an end of the lateral wall (3), a separation line (5') of the lateral wall (3) defining a retaining ring (301'), configured to remain anchored to the neck (201) and a closing element (302) to open or close the container (2). The separation line (5') extends about the axis (Z) and is circumferentially interrupted so as to leave the retaining ring (301) and the closing element (302) joined together. The retaining ring (301') comprises a retaining portion (303), configured to engage internally with a locking ring (202) of the neck (201), the latter projecting from an outer surface of the neck (201) and extending in a direction parallel to the axis (Z) between an upper end (202c) and a lower end (202b). The retaining ring (301') comprises a joining portion (305) which allows the retaining ring (301') to be joined to the closing element (302), a first connecting band (306) and a second connecting band (307), which connect the joining portion (305) to the retaining portion (303), and a tab (308) positioned between the first connecting band (306) and the second connecting band (307). The connecting bands (306; 307) are made by an incision line (7') which comprises a first lateral stretch (702') and a second lateral stretch (703') wherein the first lateral stretch (702') and the second lateral stretch (703'), when the closing element (302) is in a closed condition, are arranged in such a way that when the closing element (302) is in an open condition and the connecting bands (306, 307) keep the closing element (302) connected to the retaining ring (301'), the tab (308) can rest on the neck (201) beyond the upper end (202c) of the locking ring (202) towards the dispensing opening (203).