Pressurized Container Opening Mechanism with Safety Overhang
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing opening mechanisms for pressurized containers, such as those used for tennis balls, pose a hazard due to sharp edges when the pressure seal is removed, as they do not effectively protect users from injury while maintaining the sealing function.
Innovation Solution
A safer opening mechanism featuring a removable lid with a safety cover and sealable plate, where the safety cover has an overhang that covers the exposed edge of the sealable plate, and an adhesive bonding the sealable plate to the safety cover, allowing the tab to extend through the safety cover for easy access and minimizing exposure to sharp edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional flip-top tab opening mechanism is used, then the container can be easily opened, but the exposed edge of the pressure seal becomes sharp and creates a hazard to the user's fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a removable lid with a safety cover as an intermediary component between the user's fingers and the sharp exposed edge of the pressure seal. The safety cover includes an overhang that extends over the perimeter of the pressure seal, creating a protective barrier that prevents direct contact with the sharp edge while still allowing the tab to be pulled for opening the container.
2Ease of operation
If the pressure seal is removed to open the container, then access to the contents is enabled, but the exposed outer edge around the perimeter of the pressure seal creates a sharp hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-attaching the safety cover with the overhang to the container body before the pressure seal is removed. The overhang is positioned in advance to cover the perimeter area where the sharp edge will be exposed after pressure seal removal, so that when the container is opened, the protective coverage is already in place, preventing the sharp edge hazard from occurring.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a safety cover with overhang is added to cover the exposed edge, then user safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the safety cover function with the existing removable lid structure. The safety cover is integrated as part of the lid assembly, combining the sealing function, the safety protection function, and the opening mechanism into a single unified component. This merging approach allows the safety feature to be added without requiring entirely separate safety devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
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 mechanism provides a safer and easier way to open pressurized containers by covering the exposed edge of the sealable plate with the overhang, reducing the risk of user injury while preserving the pressure within the container.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive bonding the sealable plate to the safety cover
Data Source
AI summary
An improved and safer opening mechanism for a container, such as a pressurized container, is provided that includes a synchronous relationship between a safety cap and a sealable plate, such that the safety cap covers the sealable plate when it is removed from the container.