Container Opening Device Angular Constraint Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-piece opening/closing devices for containers with pourable products often result in environmental pollution and uncontrolled pouring due to the cap separating from the collar, allowing opening in unfavorable positions, leading to inefficient pouring and potential spills.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates releasing/engaging means between the lid and collar, allowing opening only when the cap is correctly oriented, with locking teeth and guides ensuring the lid can only be opened within a specific angular interval, preventing uncontrolled pouring and allowing secure reclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap is made displaceable on the collar without rotation constraint, then the cap can be easily opened and closed, but the lid can be opened in unfavorable positions causing uncontrolled pouring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining specific angular positions where the lid can be opened. The releasing/engaging means are configured to allow lid opening only at predetermined angular intervals, ensuring that when the user opens the lid, it is in a favorable position for controlled pouring. This prevents uncontrolled pouring while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is made displaceable on the collar without rotation constraint, then the cap can be easily opened and closed, but the liquid may come out of the container in an uncontrolled way
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (releasing/engaging means with angular constraint) between the cap and collar that mediates the opening operation. This intermediary ensures that the cap can only be opened at specific angular positions, providing controlled pouring while maintaining ease of operation. The intermediary translates the user's opening action into a constrained angular movement.
3Reliability
If releasing/engaging means are added to constrain lid opening to specific angular intervals, then uncontrolled pouring is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the releasing/engaging means with the existing cap and collar structure. The angular constraint mechanism is integrated into the cap-coller assembly rather than being a separate system. This merging approach provides controlled pouring functionality while minimizing the increase in device complexity by reusing existing structural elements.
4Reliability
If the lid is rotatably constrained to open only at specific angles, then pouring control is improved, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the angular constraint conditional and dynamic rather than fixed. The releasing/engaging means allow the lid to be opened at specific angular intervals, providing pouring control while maintaining ease of operation within those intervals. The system dynamically adapts to user actions while enforcing angular constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
Opening/closing device (1) for a container (100) for pourable products having at least one pierceable portion (101), said opening/closing device comprising a collar (2) combinable with said container at said pierceable portion, a cap (3) provided with a lower portion (3a) and displaceable on the outer surface (2a) of said collar (2) in a constrained and only rotatable way by first guiding means (40) interposed between said collar (2) and said lower portion (3a), and a cutting element (5) movable in a constrained way inside said collar (2) by second guiding means (60), which are interposed between said cutting element (5) and said collar (2) to sever said pierceable portion, said device (1) further comprising pushing means (7) for said cutting element (5) which are driven by said cap (3), at least during its first displacement on said outer surface (2a) of said collar (2), such as to aid the displacement of said at least one cutting element inside said collar in direction of said pierceable portion, said cap (3) comprising at least one lid (3b) rotatably constrained with respect to said lower portion (3a) of said cap (3) between an opening position (PI) and a closing position (P2), and vice-versa, characterized by comprising releasing/engaging means (10) between said lid (3b) and said collar (2) such as to allow the opening/closing of said lid depending on the rotation angle reached by said cap (3) with respect to said collar (2), after the first displacement of said cap on said outer surface (2a) of said collar (2), said opening of the lid being allowed only when said cap reaches a rotation angle such as the pouring is handier for the user, and once the lid has been reclosed, said lied being lockable in stable position with the collar by rotating the cap with respect to the collar so that to reach a rotation angle different from that in which said lid is rotatable with respect to the lower portion of the cap.