Closure Cap With Rotational Plunger and Pierceable Membrane
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure caps for containers are complex, costly, and lack intuitive activation mechanisms, making it difficult to protect substances from environmental influences during storage and ensure reliable discharge into the container.
Innovation Solution
A closure cap with a U-shaped design featuring a pierceable membrane and a plunger that moves from a non-active to an activated position through a rotational and translational movement, ensuring the substance is protected until activation, which involves rotating the plunger into an intermediate position before pressing it down to pierce the membrane, eliminating the need for separate locking rings and providing tamper evidence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a closure cap with a chamber for storing substance is designed, then the substance can be protected from environmental influences during storage, but the structure becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the chamber for storing substance with the closure cap itself, making the cap housing form the chamber walls. The bottom opening of the cap housing is closed by a membrane that serves dual purposes: sealing the chamber and acting as a barrier to environmental influences. This integration eliminates the need for separate chamber structures while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the container closure, forms the chamber walls for storing substance, provides the membrane barrier, and includes the plunger mechanism for discharge. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed while achieving reliable substance protection.
2Reliability
If a complex activation mechanism with separate locking rings is used, then the substance discharge can be controlled, but the device becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the separate locking ring component from the activation mechanism. Instead, the plunger's lateral surface engagement with the cap housing recess provides the necessary control and locking function. This simplification maintains controlled discharge capability while reducing structural complexity and improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger mechanism is designed to be self-contained, with its lateral surface automatically engaging with the cap housing recess to provide controlled movement. The membrane itself serves as the barrier that requires plunger activation to breach, creating a self-regulating system that simplifies operation while maintaining reliable controlled discharge.
3Ease of operation
If the plunger can be pressed directly into the recess, then the activation is simple, but the substance may be discharged unintentionally during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements preliminary anti-action by designing the plunger's lateral surface to engage with the cap housing recess in a way that prevents downward movement unless the plunger is first rotated into the correct position. This preliminary positioning step ensures that accidental pressing during storage cannot occur, while still allowing simple activation when intentionally positioned correctly.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger must first be rotated into an intermediate position where its lateral surface engages with the cap housing recess before it can be pressed down to activate discharge. This preliminary rotational action ensures proper positioning and prevents unintentional discharge during storage, while maintaining simple activation once positioned correctly.
4Reliability
If additional safety measures and locking mechanisms are added, then the discharge reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the safety control mechanism into the basic plunger and cap housing structure. The lateral surface of the plunger engaging with the recess of the cap housing provides both the mechanical control and the safety prevention of unintentional discharge. This merging eliminates the need for separate locking rings or additional safety components, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining discharge reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap housing and plunger are designed to serve multiple functions: they contain the substance, provide the activation mechanism, prevent unintentional discharge, and control the discharge process. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional safety measures and locking mechanisms, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining high discharge reliability.
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 simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly mechanism for activating the discharge of substances into the container, ensuring protection from environmental influences and reliable activation without additional safety measures, while allowing for easy production and intuitive use.
Implementation Method 1
The bottom opening is closed by means of a pierceable membrane
Implementation Method 2
the plunger and the cap housing are movable relative to one another between a first, non-active position, in which a bottom edge of the lateral surface is arranged above the membrane of the cap housing and in which the plunger is blocked from being vertically pressed into the recess of the of the cap housing, and a second, activated position, in which the bottom edge of the lateral surface pierces the membrane
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 7~11
Figure 12~17
AI summary
The present invention concerns a closure cap (10) for a container, said closure cap having a cap housing (12) which includes a substantially cylindrical recess (13) which has a top opening (14) and a bottom opening (15), wherein the bottom opening (15) is closed by means of a piercable membrane (16), a plunger (17) which comprises a cover (18) and a substantially cylindrical lateral surface (19) which extends downward from an underside of the cover (18), wherein the lateral surface (19) engages in the top opening (14) of the recess (13) of the cap housing (12) and has an outside diameter which corresponds substantially to the inside diameter of the recess (13), and a chamber (20) which is defined by the recess (13) of the cap housing (12) and the plunger (17) which engages in the recess (13) by way of its lateral surface (19), the plunger (17) and the cap housing (12) being arranged so as to be movable relative to one another between a first, non-active position, in which a bottom edge (22) of the lateral surface (19) is arranged above the membrane (16) of the cap housing (12) and in which the plunger (17) is blocked from being vertically pressed into the recess (13) of the cap housing (12), and a second, activated position, in which the bottom edge (22) of the lateral surface (19) pierces the membrane (16), wherein the plunger (17) is movable by means of an essentially rotational movement from the first, non-active position into an intermediate position where the plunger is allowed to be pressed into the recess (13) so as to reach the second, activated position.