Child-Resistant Closure With Segmented Locking Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current child-resistant closures for pharmaceutical containers are difficult for adults with compromised hand strength to open, particularly those with arthritis, and are not suitable for non-cylindrical shapes, leading to inefficiencies in storage and tampering concerns.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant closure system featuring a moveable overcap with locking pins and notches that engages with a container's sidewalls, allowing easy opening by adults while maintaining security, and optionally includes a tamper-evident mechanism to ensure container integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If push-and-turn closure systems are used to achieve child-resistance, then child safety is improved, but the force required to open the container becomes very considerable, making it difficult for adults with arthritis to open
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is divided into two separate components: a removable cap and a closure member that remains on the container. The cap contains the child-resistant locking mechanism with locking pins and notches, while the closure member provides the threaded engagement. This segmentation allows the child-resistant feature to be operated separately from the main opening action, reducing the force required.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap acts as an intermediary component between the user and the container contents. It provides a child-resistant interface that can be removed or opened independently, mediating access control without requiring the user to apply considerable force to the main closure mechanism.
2Reliability
If arrow-alignment closure systems are used to achieve child-resistance, then child safety is improved, but the user needs relatively good eyesight to align arrows and still needs to exert considerable force to push the cap away
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and closure member incorporate visual indicators such as colored bands or contrasting colors that provide clear visual cues for proper alignment and engagement. This eliminates the need for precise arrow alignment and makes the system accessible to users with varying eyesight capabilities.
3Reliability
If cylindrical containers are used with child-resistant closures, then child-resistance is achieved, but storage efficiency is reduced due to spaces between curved walls and difficulty in stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is designed to work with containers of various shapes, including non-cylindrical forms. The cap and closure member geometry can be adapted to match different container profiles, eliminating wasted space and improving stacking efficiency while maintaining child-resistant functionality.
4Ease of operation
If closure becomes physically separated from container upon opening, then access to medication is achieved, but the closure may be lost or incorrectly secured, and children may place it in their mouth causing choking risk
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and closure member are designed to remain physically connected or easily reconnected after opening. The cap can be held onto the closure member or stored in a designated location, preventing separation and eliminating the choking hazard while maintaining easy access to medication.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention features a child resistant, moveable closure member and container device and an overcap and container device. The overcap has opposed end walls and opposed sidewalls, with at least one leading locking pin and at least one trailing locking pin in at least one of said sidewalls. The inner closure may have at least one guiding bar, which extends downwardly from its lower surface, that is compatible in shape with an opening slot that may be in at least one of the sidewalls along the upper body of the container. The container further has a fixed cover portion facing the inner closure with a dispensing opening therethrough. At least one of the container sidewalls may have a closing notch, a stopping notch distal to the closing notch, and an opening notch therebetween. When the moveable closure is in the operative closure position, at least one of the leading locking pins is removably engaged in one of the closing notches and at least one of the trailing locking pins is removably engaged in at least one of the open notches, and the at least one guiding bar lies in the opening slot of the container. As the moveable closure is moved to its operative open position, the guiding bar engages and slidably travels along the opening slot. When the moveable closure is in its operative open position, at least one of the leading locking pins is removably engaged in one of the open notches and at least one of the trailing locking pins is removably engaged in one of the stopping notches.