Flexible Shroud Tab Notch Child Resistant Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child lock designs for manually actuated fluid dispensers are either too complex, difficult to operate, or ineffective in preventing children from unlocking the nozzle cap, posing a risk of accidental exposure to toxic substances.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant manually actuated dispensing device featuring a rotatable nozzle cap with a radially extending flange and a flexible outer shroud with a tab that engages the flange, preventing the nozzle from rotating unless the shroud is bent away from the nozzle cap, allowing easy operation for adults while being difficult for children to access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a child lock design is implemented to prevent children from operating the dispenser, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The child lock mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a rotatable nozzle cap with notches, a flexible shroud with tabs, and a rigid outer housing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall simplicity of the design.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud is made of flexible material that can be temporarily deformed by adult users to access the nozzle cap, but maintains its shape to prevent children from operating the device. This flexibility provides the child-resistant function without requiring complex mechanical locking mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a child lock mechanism is added to prevent unauthorized access, then safety is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud transitions from a static protective barrier to a dynamic component that can be temporarily deformed by adult users. This dynamic behavior allows easy access for authorized users while maintaining child resistance, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexibility parameter of the shroud material is specifically selected to allow deformation under adult force but resist deformation by children. This parameter change enables the shroud to provide different operational characteristics for different user groups, maintaining ease of operation for adults while ensuring safety.
3Ease of operation
If the shroud is made flexible to allow access, then ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of preventing rotation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented from the flexible shroud and assigned to the rigid nozzle cap with its engagement notches. This segmentation allows the shroud to remain flexible for ease of operation while the rigid cap maintains reliable prevention of unauthorized rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle cap features asymmetric notches that engage with tabs on the shroud in specific orientations. This asymmetric design ensures that the cap can only be rotated to specific positions when the shroud is properly deformed, maintaining reliability of rotation prevention while allowing ease of operation for authorized users.
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 design effectively prevents children from rotating the nozzle cap while allowing adults to easily operate the device, enhancing safety by ensuring the nozzle remains locked in the desired position, thus reducing the risk of accidental exposure to hazardous substances.
Implementation Method 1
The shroud is made of material which is sufficiently flexible such that it can be pulled away from the nozzle cap at a location on the same side of the tab thereby causing the tab to lift out of the notch
Data Source
AI summary
A child resistant manually actuated dispensing pump device includes a rotatable nozzle cap having a flange which defines a notch and an outer shroud having a tab which is dimensioned to engage the notch and lie substantially flush with or recessed relative to the flange so that it cannot be grasped and pulled out of the notch. When the tab is engaged in the notch, the nozzle cap cannot be rotated. The shroud is made of material which is flexible enough that it can be bent away from the nozzle cap, thereby lifting the tab out of the notch and permitting rotation of the cap. A second embodiment replaces the notch with a pair of ledges located on opposite sides of the nozzle cap, and provides a second tab on the opposite side of the shroud so that each tab engages a ledge.