Cellulose Container Caps with Folded Tamper-Evident Bands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing caps made from natural fibres, particularly cellulose, face challenges in incorporating tamper-evident mechanisms due to complications in mould design and increased risk of breaking, especially at the connecting parts between the closure body and tamper-evident ring.
Innovation Solution
A method involving compression moulding of cellulose-based materials to create a cap with a breakable line and folded annular band, forming a retaining element that keeps the tamper-evident ring attached to the container neck even after the closure body is removed, using simple cutting and folding operations without complex moulds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a connecting part is used to join the closure body to the tamper-evident ring, then the closure body can be repeatedly applied and removed from the container neck, but the connecting part is repeatedly bent which causes small cracks to form and propagate leading to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the vulnerable connecting part from the system by making it breakable. The connecting part is designed to break along a predetermined breakable line when tampering occurs, separating the closure body from the tamper-evident ring. This extraction of the connecting function resolves the contradiction by eliminating the repeated bending issue while maintaining the ability to detect tampering.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is segmented into distinct functional parts: the closure body, the tamper-evident ring, and the breakable connecting part with a predetermined breakable line. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the closure body seals the container, the tamper-evident ring remains on the neck, and the connecting part provides initial attachment that breaks upon tampering.
2Reliability
If tamper-evident means are incorporated into a cap made with natural fibre-based material, then consumer safety is improved, but the mould design becomes complicated and the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the tamper-evident ring and the connecting part into a single integrated component made from the same natural fibre-based material. This unified design is formed in a single molding operation, eliminating the need for complex multi-step processes or specialized molds. The breakable line is incorporated directly into the molded structure, simplifying both mold design and manufacturing while maintaining effective tamper-evident functionality.
3Reliability
If tamper-evident means are incorporated into a cap made with natural fibre-based material, then consumer safety is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and the cap has greater risk of defects or breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The breakable line is pre-formed during the molding process as an integral part of the connecting structure. This preliminary action of creating the weakness line during manufacturing eliminates the need for subsequent complex processing steps. The natural fibre-based material is molded with the breakable line already incorporated, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while ensuring reliable tamper-evident functionality.
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 solution provides a tamper-evident cap with reduced environmental impact, easy production, and effective indication of container opening, while maintaining mechanical strength to prevent accidental detachment.
Implementation Method 1
pressing the material in the mould to obtain a cup-shaped component
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making a cap for a container that includes the steps of inserting in a mould a material in a solid state or a solid dispersed in a liquid, the material containing at least 70% cellulose by weight; pressing the material in the mould to obtain a cup-shaped component, the cup-shaped component having a skirt which extends around an axis and an end wall which closes the skirt at one end thereof; making on the skirt a breakable line which at least partly surrounds the axis to define on the cup-shaped component a closure body and an annular band; and folding a portion of the annular band inwards towards the inside of the cup-shaped component, to obtain at least one retaining element which projects inwards towards the inside of the annular band so as to keep the annular band joined to a neck of the container.