Container Gripping Jaws With Spiral Guide for Tight Lid Opening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with arthritis or dexterity issues face difficulty in opening containers with tightly sealed screw-on lids, as the task requires both hands to hold the container and twist the lid, which can be impossible due to the lid's vacuum seal and tightness.
Innovation Solution
A container gripping device with a specially-configured top housing that includes recesses for enhanced grip and a spiral guide member to move jaw members radially, allowing for a secure hold and easier lid removal, accommodating various container sizes and providing additional leverage for users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lid is tightly sealed or vacuum sealed to maintain freshness, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the ease of opening the lid deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lid opening device as an intermediary tool between the user and the tightly sealed lid. This device includes a gripping mechanism that engages with the container and a lever arm that applies mechanical advantage to pry the lid off, thereby mediating the interaction between the user and the difficult-to-open sealed lid without compromising the sealing effectiveness during storage
2Ease of operation
If the container is held in one hand and the lid is twisted with the other hand, then the lid can be removed, but the difficulty of operation increases for individuals with arthritis or dexterity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the container holding function from the user's hand by introducing a gripping mechanism that secures the container body. This allows the user to operate the lid-opening mechanism without needing to simultaneously hold and stabilize the container, thereby reducing the coordination complexity and making the task accessible to individuals with dexterity limitations
3Force
If a simple gripping mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the gripping force and leverage provided are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic lever arm mechanism that can be adjusted in length and position. The lever arm rotates about an axis and can be extended or repositioned to optimize the mechanical advantage based on the specific container size and lid tightness, thereby providing variable gripping force and leverage while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure
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
Enables individuals with arthritis or dexterity issues to securely grasp and open containers using one hand, reducing the struggle of removing tight lids by providing enhanced grip and leverage, making the process more accessible and manageable.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the jaw members may include a resilient member that deforms upon contact with a container to engage the container in place
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for grasping a jar and aiding in lid opening includes a base element that may be placed on a surface, and a top housing that is rotatably secured to the base element. The top housing includes a raised outer periphery having at least one recess extending at least partially through the raised outer periphery, each recess allowing an increased maximum outward movement of a corresponding movable jaw member compared to a raised outer periphery lacking the recess.