Plastically Deformable Retaining Element for Bottle Cap Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bottles containing carbonated beverages often experience unintentional cap ejection due to pressure increases, leading to potential injuries and damage, as existing safety devices fail to absorb the cap's kinetic energy and prevent rebound impact.
Innovation Solution
A safety system featuring a plastically deformable flexible retaining element and a vent channel to limit cap movement and reduce pressure, absorbing kinetic energy and dissipating it through deformation, thereby reducing the cap's ejection speed and preventing rebound impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid safety device (metal cage or string) is used to retain the cap, then the cap is held in its original position, but the device cannot prevent unintentional ejection once removed and cannot absorb the cap's kinetic energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating a deformable retaining element that can absorb kinetic energy before the cap is fully ejected. The element is designed to deform plastically under the impact force of unintentional ejection, converting the cap's kinetic energy into deformation work and preventing the cap from reaching high speeds that cause injury.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the retaining element from rigid (metal cage or string) to plastically deformable. This parameter change allows the element to absorb energy through permanent deformation rather than elastic rebound, fundamentally altering how the system responds to cap ejection forces and preventing the harmful rebound effect.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is allowed to eject freely, then the bottle opens, but the cap reaches high speeds (up to 80 Km/h) causing permanent damage to persons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a deformable retaining element as an intermediary between the cap and the user/environment. This intermediary absorbs the harmful kinetic energy of the ejecting cap through plastic deformation, mediating the interaction between the pressurized bottle system and the external environment to prevent direct impact injuries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful kinetic energy of the ejecting cap into beneficial plastic deformation of the retaining element. The energy that would otherwise cause injury is transformed into permanent deformation of the safety element, which limits cap travel distance and prevents rebound, effectively turning a harmful effect into a protective mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If a safety device is removed before opening, then the bottle can be opened, but the cap may be ejected abruptly and uncontrolled
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable retaining element provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-positioned to engage the cap after the rigid safety device is removed. When the cap begins to eject due to pressure, the deformable element engages and gradually deforms, cushioning the cap's motion and preventing abrupt, high-speed ejection while still allowing controlled opening.
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 system effectively limits the cap's distance from the bottle, reduces ejection speed, and minimizes the risk of impact, providing enhanced safety and reliability while being economically competitive.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible retaining element (40) is plastically deformable so as to dissipate, and thereby reduce, the tearing force given by the pressure ejection of the cap (60) from the bottle (70)
Implementation Method 2
vent channel configured to reduce the pressure of the liquid contained in the bottle (70)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
said retaining element (40) is configured to plastically deform as a result of the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70), so as to reduce and absorb the tearing force given by the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70).The present invention relates to a safety system (1) for the ejection of bottle caps. According to the invention, this safety system (1) is applicable to a bottle (70), comprising a respective cap (60) and containing pressurised beverages, and comprises at least one flexible retaining element (40) and configured to plastically deform as a result of the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70), so as to reduce and absorb the tearing force given by the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70), wherein said retaining element (40) is configured to plastically deform as a result of the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70), so as to reduce and absorb the tearing force given by the pressure ejection of said cap (60) from said bottle (70).