Child-Resistant Closure Assembly Using a Decoy Pattern
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant caps are difficult for adults with disabilities or the elderly to open, and combination locks require complex parts and memory, making them hard to use and manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A container closure assembly with movable elements featuring a decoy pattern that requires cognitive alignment rather than physical manipulation, allowing easy opening by adults while preventing access by children.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional child-resistant cap is used, then child access is prevented, but it becomes difficult for adults with disabilities or the elderly to open
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into multiple movable elements (at least two) that can be independently positioned. Each element has graphical indicia that contributes to forming a complete pattern only when all elements are in the correct locked position. This segmentation allows the opening mechanism to be distributed across multiple simple positioning actions rather than a single complex manipulation, making it easier for adults with limited dexterity while maintaining child resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical child-resistant mechanisms (such as push-and-turn or complex latch systems) with a cognitive pattern recognition system. The movable elements display graphical indicia that form a complete pattern only in the locked state. Opening the cap requires recognizing that the pattern is already complete and simply disengaging the elements, rather than performing complex mechanical manipulations. This substitution makes the system easier for adults to operate while maintaining effectiveness against children.
2Reliability
If a combination lock is used to secure the cap, then security against unwanted access is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical combination locks with a graphical pattern recognition system. Instead of requiring users to input a numerical or alphabetic combination through complex mechanical interfaces, the system uses visual graphical indicia on movable elements that form a recognizable pattern. The locked state is indicated by the complete pattern, and opening simply requires disengaging the movable elements. This substitution dramatically reduces device complexity and manufacturing difficulty while maintaining security effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses graphical representations (copies) of patterns formed by the movable elements to indicate the locked state. Rather than requiring complex mechanical encoding, the system creates visual copies of the pattern arrangement that children can recognize but cannot easily manipulate. The graphical indicia on each movable element are positioned to form a complete pattern only when all elements are in the correct locked position, providing a simple yet effective security mechanism.
3Reliability
If a combination lock is used, then security is improved, but the ease of use deteriorates due to memory requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces memory-based combination locks with a visual pattern recognition system. The movable elements display graphical indicia that form a complete, recognizable pattern only in the locked state. Users do not need to remember a combination code; instead, they simply need to recognize that the pattern is complete and understand that disengaging the elements opens the cap. This substitution makes the system accessible to elderly or memory-impaired individuals while maintaining security effectiveness against children.
Data Source
AI summary
A container closure assembly comprising: a container neck (10); a cap (6) adapted to removably engage with the container neck (10), the cap (6) arranged to close an opening (12) of the container neck (10) when engaged therewith; one or more movable elements (14a, 14b, 14c), the movable elements arranged to provide a selective engagement between the container neck (10) and the cap (6). The one or more movable elements (14a, 14b, 14c) have one or more graphical indicia (16) thereon to form at least part of at least one decoy pattern. The one or more movable elements (Mas, 14b, 14c) have a locked configuration in which the cap (6) is engaged with the container neck (10) and the decoy pattern is complete. The one or more movable elements (14sa, 14b, 14c) have an unlocked configuration in which the cap (6) is disengaged from the container neck (10) and the decoy pattern is not complete. A container comprising the container closure assembly, a cap for a container, a container comprising the cap and a storage vessel are also disclosed.