Flexible Wall Lid Locking for Child-Resistant Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packages lack effective mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access by children and the elderly, particularly for substances like oral tobacco and cannabis products, which require complex motion and different force directions for opening.
Innovation Solution
A container with a flexible wall locking mechanism featuring a base and lid design, where the peripheral wall can be moved from a relaxed to a flexed position by applying forces in different directions, and protrusions engage with the lid to secure it in a closed configuration, allowing transition to an open state through a distinct third direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple lid closure is used, then ease of operation is improved, but child resistance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral wall is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically change shape during the opening process. The wall flexes outward when forces are applied to the protrusions, enabling the lid to be opened in a specific sequence of motions that is difficult for children but manageable for adults.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism changes the physical state of the peripheral wall from a rigid locked position to a flexible unlocked position. By applying forces to the protrusions, the wall's rigidity parameter changes, allowing transition from the locked configuration to the open configuration.
2Reliability
If a rigid locking mechanism is used, then child resistance is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral wall is designed as a flexible element that can bend and deform under applied forces. This flexible wall replaces complex rigid locking components with a simpler structure that achieves the same child-resistant function through controlled flexing and geometric interlocking of protrusions and receptacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the locking function from separate mechanical components and integrates it into the geometric relationship between the peripheral wall, protrusions, and receptacles. The locking mechanism is embedded in the container's structure rather than being an added assembly of parts.
3Reliability
If multiple force directions are required for opening, then child resistance is improved, but ease of operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The opening action is segmented into distinct sequential steps: first applying force in a first direction to flex the wall, then applying force in a second direction to disengage protrusions, and finally opening the lid. This segmentation creates a deliberate multi-step process that is child-resistant yet learnable for adults.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral wall is pre-configured with protrusions positioned to engage with receptacles on the lid. Before opening can occur, the wall must first be flexed to a predetermined position where the protrusions can be disengaged. This preliminary flexing action sets up the conditions necessary for subsequent lid 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 design provides a child-resistant feature that requires a specific sequence of forces to open, reducing the risk of accidental access by children and the elderly to potentially harmful substances.
Implementation Method 1
At least a portion of the peripheral wall is configured to be moved from a relaxed position to a flexed position by applying a first force to a first portion of the peripheral wall in a first direction and a second force to a second portion of the peripheral wall in a second direction different than the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
A container includes a base and a lid movable between a closed and locked configuration and an open configuration The base includes a peripheral wall movable from a relaxed position to a flexed position by applying a first force to a first portion in a first direction and a second force to a second portion in a second direction. The lid defines a plurality of receptacles. In the closed and locked configuration, the protrusions are at least partially in the receptacles, the peripheral wall is in the relaxed position, and the protrusions are configured to engage the lid to retain the lid in the closed and locked configuration. The container is configured to be moved from the closed and locked configuration to the open configuration by moving the lid in a third direction different from the first and second directions while the peripheral wall is in the flexed position.