Dispensing Cap With Foldable Side Walls And Locking Roof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing caps for vials are not hygienic as they allow contamination during the breaking of the capsule, as the external walls come into contact with the substance or indirectly cause incomplete dispensing due to the folding mechanism, leading to trapped substance during mixing.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing cap with side walls that fold outward and a roof that can be locked in a lowered position using hook and lip elements, preventing the cap from returning to its original position and ensuring complete dispensing of the substance, along with a star-section punch and enlarged outer surface for easier manual actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the side walls of the cap penetrate inside the cap to break the capsule, then the capsule breaking is effective, but the external walls contaminate the substance inside the cap
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the side walls (penetrating and contaminating) is extracted and separated from the useful function (compressing and breaking the capsule). The side walls are designed to fold outward instead of penetrating inward, removing the contamination risk while preserving the capsule breaking capability through the punch mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
A punch element is introduced as an intermediary component to perform the capsule breaking function. Instead of the side walls directly penetrating and breaking the capsule (causing contamination), the punch acts as a mediator that transfers the compressive force from the roof to the capsule base, effectively breaking it without contacting the substance.
2Ease of operation
If the roof is made movable to control capsule breaking, then the dispensing process is controllable, but the cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The roof is designed as a movable component that transitions from a raised position (protecting the capsule) to a lowered position (compressing and breaking the capsule). This dynamic structure allows user control over the dispensing process while maintaining structural simplicity through the folding side walls mechanism that guides the roof's motion.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the side walls fold outwards during roof lowering, then contamination is prevented, but the force required for actuation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side walls are pre-configured with a folding mechanism that is activated during the roof lowering process. This preliminary design of the folding structure allows the walls to naturally fold outward as the roof moves down, preventing contamination without requiring additional actuation force beyond what is needed to compress the capsule.
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 solution ensures complete and hygienic dispensing of the substance by preventing contamination and ensuring all the substance is released into the container, improving user experience with reduced effort required for actuation.
Implementation Method 1
the side walls are configured in such a way that during the lowering of the roof they do not penetrate inside the cap but fold outwards and laterally on themselves
Implementation Method 2
a punch arranged under the roof or, in the absence of a punch, the cap itself configured for breaking the capsule
Implementation Method 3
the flat base of the capsule, the one placed on the mouth of the container, suitably has a lower thickness than the rest of the capsule for facilitating the breakage thereof
Implementation Method 4
the breakage of the lower membrane causes the powder to enter by gravity into the container
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Dispensing cap (7) configured for being coupled to the mouth (3) of a container (2) storing a first substance (4) and for housing inside therein a capsule (5) storing a second substance (6); the cap (7) comprising: a base (8) for coupling to the container (2); a roof (9) movable between a raised rest position and a lowered dispensing position; side walls (10) connecting the base (8) and the roof (9) configured in such a way that during the lowering of the roof (9) they do not penetrate inside the cap (7) but are laterally folded on themselves; wherein the cap (7) further comprises at least one device configured for blocking the roof (9) in the lowered position or for preventing the raising of the roof (9) from the lowered position beyond a prefixed height.