Child Resistant Closure With Flexible Wings And Nested Caps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant two-cap structures for small containers, such as eye drop containers, are mechanically deficient and may not effectively prevent young children from removing the closure, as they are often larger in size and have noticeable mechanistic deficiencies that can lead to safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant closure design featuring an inner shell with outwardly projecting cams and an outer shell with inwardly projecting side wings that can bend to reduce friction and require a specific force for removal, utilizing a spring mechanism and ratchets to ensure secure engagement and disengagement, thereby enhancing the mechanical interaction and safety of the closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional two-cap structures are used for small containers, then child resistance function is provided, but the closure size becomes too large for small containers and mechanical deficiencies become noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into two separate caps: an inner cap that threads onto the container and an outer cap that provides the child-resistant function. This segmentation allows each cap to be optimized independently - the inner cap can be small to fit the container while the outer cap provides the safety mechanism, resolving the contradiction between maintaining child resistance and reducing overall size.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner cap is nested within the outer cap structure. The inner cap threads onto the container neck and the outer cap surrounds it, with both caps having interengaging components. This nested arrangement allows the closure to fit small containers while maintaining the dual-cap safety mechanism, effectively reducing the volume occupied by the closure.
2Reliability
If traditional two-cap structures are used for small containers, then child resistance function is provided, but mechanistic deficiencies become noticeable and safety hazards occur
Solution Approach 1:
The outer cap incorporates a resilient ring that can dynamically change its engagement state with the inner cap. During normal use, the resilient ring maintains engagement to prevent accidental opening. When intentional pressure is applied (pushing or squeezing), the resilient ring dynamically disengages to allow opening. This dynamic behavior eliminates mechanical deficiencies by providing both security and ease of intentional operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient ring changes its physical state based on applied force. Under normal conditions, it maintains a engaged state with the inner cap. When sufficient axial or radial pressure is applied, it transitions to a disengaged state, allowing the caps to separate. This parameter change (from engaged to disengaged) based on force magnitude resolves the contradiction between maintaining security and enabling easy intentional opening.
3Ease of operation
If axial pressure is applied to disengage the caps, then the push-and-turn mechanism works, but friction may prevent easy operation
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient ring acts as a flexible element that can deform under applied force. When axial pressure is applied to push the caps apart, the resilient ring flexes to reduce frictional contact between the caps. This flexibility allows the push-and-turn operation to proceed more easily by temporarily reducing the friction force that would otherwise resist disengagement.
4Ease of operation
If radial pressure is applied to disengage the caps, then the squeeze-and-turn mechanism works, but friction may prevent easy operation
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient ring's flexibility is particularly useful in the squeeze-and-turn mechanism. When radial squeezing force is applied, the resilient ring deforms radially to reduce friction between the outer and inner caps. This temporary reduction in friction allows the squeezing action to effectively disengage the caps without being hindered by excessive frictional forces.
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 design effectively prevents unauthorized removal by children by reducing friction and requiring a specific force for disengagement, ensuring the closure remains secure on small containers while allowing easy reengagement, thus enhancing safety and usability.
Implementation Method 1
GB2100238A1 describes a closure device such as a screw cap for a container such as a medicine bottle having a screw neck, the device having inner and outer caps comprising respectively an end member and a skirt member, there being a first drive means between the skirt members and second drive means associated with biasing means in the form of a resilient ring formed integrally with the outer cap.
Implementation Method 2
the outer shell side wings bendable outwardly toward the second inner surface; and ii. wing recess areas disposed within the second inner surface and adjacent to the outer shell side wings to receive the outer shell side wings once the outer shell side wings are bent outwardly toward the second inner surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~4b
Figure 5a~6b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a child resistant closure (100) for a bottle or container. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved two-cap structure (10, 50) assemblies.