Crown Cap Flute Recesses for Soft Removal Feel
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crown caps require high torque for removal, making them difficult and uncomfortable to twist off, especially when stored in ice water, and existing designs struggle to achieve a soft feel while maintaining an adequate seal within limited space constraints.
Innovation Solution
The crown cap design features recesses formed in the flutes that contact the bottle neck's threaded portion, creating a softer feel during removal by minimizing sharp surfaces and increasing the gripping surface area, which can be achieved using traditional tooling without changing bottling operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional crown cap geometry is used, then adequate seal is achieved, but high torque is required for removal making it difficult and uncomfortable to twist off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating recesses in specific portions of the flutes rather than uniformly modifying the entire crown cap. The recesses are formed in the outer surfaces of the flutes to reduce the effective gripping surface area, thereby reducing the torque required for removal while maintaining the seal integrity in other critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The crown cap is segmented into flutes with distinct regions - some portions have recesses formed in them while other portions maintain the conventional sealed structure. This segmentation allows different functional zones: the recessed portions reduce gripping torque, while the intact portions maintain sealing effectiveness.
2Ease of operation
If crown cap size is increased to improve gripping comfort, then ease of operation improves, but space constraints are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a soft-feel gripping surface by forming recesses in the flute surfaces, which allows the cap to conform slightly to the user's hand while maintaining the same outer dimensions. This provides enhanced gripping comfort without increasing the overall crown cap size.
3Ease of operation
If recesses are formed in flutes, then softer feel during removal is achieved, but seal integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The recesses are strategically formed only in specific portions of the flutes, not throughout the entire crown cap structure. This localized modification provides the soft feel during removal while preserving the structural integrity and seal-forming surfaces in critical areas.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A bottle sealed with a crown cap (50) that has a soft feel during removal of the crown cap from the bottle is provided. Such a bottle may include a body and a neck (58) extending up from the body. The neck may include a threaded portion, and a crimped crown cap may be removeably affixed onto the threaded portion. The crimped crown cap may include a circular top member (62), and a skirt (66) depending downwardly from a periphery of the top member. The skirt may include alternating flutes (70) and lands (74) that are configured such that recesses (78) are formed in a majority of the flutes. Preferably a majority of the recesses contact the threaded portion of the bottle neck. Because of the recesses formed in the flutes, the crown cap may have a soft feel during removal of the crown cap from the bottle.