Container Cap Segmented Joining Zone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional container caps face issues such as environmental pollution due to improper disposal, weak stable connecting zones, interference with container necks during pouring, and hygiene concerns from contaminant exposure, along with challenges in uniform moulding leading to defective caps.
Innovation Solution
A cap design featuring a tamper evident ring with bridges and windows that tears completely around the perimeter, a connecting band that increases in length to facilitate separation, and a moulding process ensuring uniform plastic flow to prevent defects, including an additional connecting window and band for improved functionality and mould design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a stable connecting zone is added to the joining portion to prevent cap body from being discarded, then environmental pollution is reduced, but the connecting zone is relatively weak and easy to tear accidentally during opening
Solution Approach 1:
The joining portion is divided into two distinct functional zones: a tearing zone with bridges that are intended to break during opening, and a stable connecting zone with continuous material that remains intact. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function - the tearing zone provides tamper evidence while the stable zone prevents disposal without creating weak points during normal opening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the joining portion are given different material properties and structural characteristics. The tearing zone has localized weakness at bridge points for controlled breaking, while the stable connecting zone has continuous, stronger material distribution. This local differentiation enables the connecting zone to be both strong enough to prevent disposal and designed to tear in specific locations during opening.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a stable connecting zone is added to the joining portion to prevent cap body from being discarded, then environmental pollution is reduced, but the cap body tends to return elastically to a position where it interferes with the neck of the container
Solution Approach 1:
The joining portion is segmented into a tearing zone with discrete bridges and a stable connecting zone. The bridges are positioned and dimensioned to tear in a controlled manner during opening, while the stable zone maintains connection to prevent cap body from returning to interfering positions. This segmentation allows the cap body to be pulled away from the neck without elastic recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridges in the tearing zone are pre-configured with specific dimensions and material properties that cause them to tear at controlled locations during opening. This preliminary design ensures that when the cap is opened, the tearing occurs at predetermined weak points rather than randomly, allowing the cap body to be fully separated from the neck without elastic recovery interfering with pouring.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If stable connections are added to connect cap body to tamper evident ring, then the cap body remains connected after opening, but the connections are sometimes too short to allow the cap body and tamper evident ring to be moved well apart
Solution Approach 1:
The joining portion is divided into a tearing zone with bridges and a stable connecting zone. The bridges are positioned to tear at specific locations, while the stable connecting zone extends sufficiently to allow the cap body and tamper evident ring to be moved well apart after opening. This segmentation enables both connection prevention of disposal and adequate separation distance for pouring operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The stable connecting zone is designed with sufficient length in the longitudinal dimension to allow adequate separation between the cap body and tamper evident ring after opening. By extending the stable zone along the opening direction, the design provides enough travel distance for the cap body to move away from the neck without the stable connections being too short to facilitate proper separation during pouring.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If a stable connecting zone is added to the joining portion, then the cap body remains connected to prevent pollution, but the connecting zone may uncover parts of the container neck, exposing them to external contaminating agents
Solution Approach 1:
The joining portion is segmented into a tearing zone with bridges and a stable connecting zone. The bridges are positioned and dimensioned to tear at controlled locations during opening, while the stable connecting zone is designed to maintain coverage over the container neck. This segmentation allows the stable zone to prevent disposal while the bridge tearing mechanism ensures that the neck remains protected from contaminants during the opening process.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridges in the tearing zone are pre-configured to tear at specific locations during opening, which prevents the stable connecting zone from uncovering the container neck. This preliminary design of the tearing zones ensures that when the cap is opened, the neck remains covered and protected from external contaminating agents, while still allowing the cap body to be prevented from disposal.
5Manufacturing precision
If the plastic material does not fill the stable connecting zone uniformly during moulding, then defective caps are produced, but the mould design becomes more complex to ensure uniform flow
Solution Approach 1:
The mould is divided into distinct zones corresponding to the tearing zone and stable connecting zone of the joining portion. The tearing zone is designed with features that promote uniform plastic flow and filling, while the stable connecting zone is configured to receive material evenly. This segmentation of the mould design ensures uniform cap formation without requiring overly complex overall mould structures.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the mould are designed with locally optimized properties to ensure uniform plastic flow. The tearing zone includes specific flow channels and pressure distribution features, while the stable connecting zone has corresponding material distribution channels. This local quality differentiation ensures uniform filling of both zones without requiring the entire mould to be overly complex.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making a cap (1) for a container comprises a step of forming in a mould, in which the following are made: a body (2) configured to be coupled and uncoupled relative to the neck of the container and including an internally threaded side wall (21), which extends around a longitudinal axis (A), and a transverse wall (22); a tamper evident ring (3), including a retaining element (31), configured to engage a locking member on the neck of the container, and a joining portion (32), where the tamper evident ring is joined to the cap body, the joining portion (32) being configured to be torn along a perimeter surrounding the longitudinal axis (A) in response to a movement of the body (2) away from the tamper evident ring (3); a connecting window (4) including a connecting band (40) and a film (400) which is thinner than the connecting band (40), the film (400) being adjacent to a first flank (43) and a second flank (44) of the connecting band (40), each of the first flank (43) and second flank (44) extending from a first end (41) of the connecting band (40) connected to the retaining portion (31) to a second end (42) of the connecting band (40) connected to the side wall (21) of the body (2), along the whole length of the first (43) and of the second flank (44).