Easy-Open Container Lid Bead Structure for Safer Tear Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing easy open ends for containers, such as food and drink cans, pose safety risks due to sharp edges after opening, require excessive sheet metal material, and complex manufacturing processes, leading to higher costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving thinning and elongating side wall portions of a lid bead, forming symmetrical projections to protect against sharp edges, using simpler tools and reducing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If double folding is performed to form protective shoulders, then user safety is improved, but sheet metal material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by thinning the bead wall portions only in specific regions where protective shoulders are needed, rather than uniformly thickening the entire lid. This localized thinning allows the bead to fold into protective shoulders that cover sharp edges while maintaining material efficiency in other areas of the lid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the protective structure from a planar configuration to a three-dimensional folded structure. By thinning the bead wall portions and forming them to fold over the score line, the protective shoulders extend into the third dimension (radially outward), providing edge protection without requiring additional material area.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If double folding is performed to form protective shoulders, then user safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by thinning the bead wall portions during the lid forming process, before the actual folding operation. This pre-thinning prepares the bead to fold more easily and form protective shoulders without requiring complex subsequent manufacturing steps, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
3Loss of substance
If bead wall portions are thinned and elongated, then material usage is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the thickness of the bead wall portions through controlled thinning. The bead wall is thinned to a specific thickness range (0.5-2.0 mm) that is optimized to allow easy folding while providing sufficient structural integrity. This parameter optimization reduces the need for high manufacturing precision while still achieving the desired protective shoulder formation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a lid for closing a container, the lid reduces the risk of a user's injury when opening the container while being producible at relatively low costs. The method comprising the steps of providing a preform of the lid (10), wherein the preform of the lid (10) has opposing first and second sides (11, 12), wherein the first side (11) faces towards the inside of the container when the lid (10) is affixed to the container; forming a bead (20) in the preform of the lid (10), wherein the bead (20) extends out of said second side (12) in an axial direction from said first side (11) towards said second side (12), wherein the bead (20) comprises two radially spaced apart side wall portions (22, 24) and a bridge portion (26) connecting the side wall portions (22, 24); thinning the side wall portions (22, 24) of the bead (20) at least partially, thereby elongating the side wall portions (22, 24); forming a score line (30) in the bridge portion (26) of the bead (20) on said second side (12); and flattening the bead (20) such that the two thinned side wall portions (22, 24) collapse, thereby providing the lid (10).