Flexible Tie Closure for Spout Caps on Thin-Walled Packages
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible thin-walled packages with spouts often lose their caps during use due to discomfort and small size, leading to potential loss or improper disposal.
Innovation Solution
A closure system comprising a closure body and cap cover with a collar and flexible tie that keeps the closure connected to the spout even after unscrewing, using a collar that snap-engages with the spout's gripping section and a tie to maintain attachment, preventing the cap from being misplaced.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the cap is made small and lightweight for portability, then it is easier to carry, but it becomes uncomfortable to hold and is easily lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cap with an extension element that integrates a tie and collar structure. The tie connects the cap to the spout, while the collar provides additional structural support. This merging of functions (cap + tie + collar) into a single integrated closure system solves the problem of the cap being easily lost while maintaining its small size for portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension element acts as an intermediary between the cap and the spout. It includes a tie that physically connects the cap to the spout and a collar that provides additional attachment points. This intermediary structure prevents the cap from being lost while the user holds it, as it remains tethered to the spout.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is unscrewed from the spout for use, then the product can be dispensed, but the cap may be thrown away or lost without proper disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The extension element with tie and collar serves as an intermediary that maintains the connection between cap and spout even when unscrewed. This ensures the cap remains attached and can be properly disposed of with the spout or returned for recycling, preventing improper disposal while allowing easy dispensing of the product.
Solution Approach 2:
The tie and collar are pre-configured in the extension element to automatically connect the cap to the spout. This preliminary arrangement ensures that before the cap is even removed for use, the means for proper disposal is already in place, guiding the user to dispose of the cap appropriately rather than throwing it away.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple cap design is used, then manufacturing is easier, but the cap cannot remain attached to the spout after unscrewing
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is segmented into distinct functional parts: the cap, the extension element, the tie, and the collar. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using simple processes, then assembled together. The tie and collar segments provide the attachment stability needed to keep the cap connected to the spout, while the overall manufacturing remains simple and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension element merges the tie and collar functions into a single integrated component that is relatively simple to manufacture. This combined structure provides both the connection function (tie) and the structural attachment function (collar) without requiring complex manufacturing processes, balancing ease of manufacture with attachment stability.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c
AI summary
A closure (1) for a spout comprising a closure body (2) provided with an annular body wall (6) extending along a main axis (X) between a closure base (10) and an annular body wall edge (7). The closure is screwable to a spout (60) comprising a connecting portion (62), suitable for welding to the thin walls of the package, and a tube (66) protruding from the connecting portion (62) along a spout axis (Y) and ending with a mouth (68); the tube (66) comprises a gripping section (70) having a guide ring (74). Connection means are also provided connecting the closure (1) to the spout (60) even when the closure (1) is unscrewed. The means of connection comprise a collar (30), inserted on the gripping section (70) of the spout (60) and bound thereto axially by said guide ring (74), and an at least partially flexible tie (32) that joins the collar (30) to the closure (1).