Container Neck Protrusion for Hinged Closure Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container designs with hinged, tethered closures often fail to effectively maintain the closure in an open position, leading to potential spillage and user inconvenience during re-closure.

Innovation Solution

The incorporation of a protrusion on the A-bead of the container neck, which engages with the tab of the closure to bias the body further away from the opening, ensuring the closure remains open and facilitating easier re-closure alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a hinged, tethered closure is used to enclose the container opening, then the closure can be opened and closed easily, but the closure cannot be reliably maintained in an open position, leading to potential spillage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of closure operationVSAvoidreliability of open position maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusion is positioned on the A-bead to preliminarily engage with the tab and bias the closure body away from the container neck, pre-establishing the open position before the user completes the opening action. This preliminary mechanical advantage ensures the closure stays open without requiring active user maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusion acts as an intermediary element between the A-bead and the tab, providing a mechanical interface that transfers force from the A-bead to the tab. This intermediary structure enables reliable open position maintenance without requiring direct complex interaction between the closure body and container neck.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the closure body is biased away from the container neck to maintain open position, then spillage is prevented, but alignment of threads during re-closure becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopen position stabilityVSAvoidease of re-closure alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusion creates a localized engagement point on the A-bead that specifically interacts with the tab. This localized feature provides precise mechanical guidance for thread alignment during re-closure while maintaining the overall biasing force that keeps the closure open, separating the alignment function from the positioning function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the protrusion extends upward from the A-bead to engage the tab, then the closure is biased further away from the container neck, but the protrusion may interfere with the threading engagement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclosure positioningVSAvoidthreading engagement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusion extends in the axial dimension (upward from the A-bead) rather than radially outward, allowing it to engage the tab and provide biasing force without interfering with the radial threading engagement between the container neck and closure. This dimensional separation resolves the interference issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20250333225A1Protrusion on Container Neck

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 SILGAN WHITE CAP LLC

AI summary

A protrusion on a container neck is provided. The protrusion is configured to interface with hinged, tethered closures to bias the body of the closure away from the container neck.