Flip-Top Closure With Retained Breakaway Tab for Tamper Evidence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packages with flexible materials like HDPE or polypropylene face challenges in forming effective locking and tamper-evident features due to material deformation, making it difficult to provide secure closure mechanisms and recycling as a single piece after use.
Innovation Solution
A closure system with a flip-top cap and retainer tab mechanism that pivots between closed and opened positions, featuring a frangible border and tab-locking segments to ensure tamper evidence and secure closure, while allowing recycling by retaining the broken tab within the package.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a frangible border is used to create a breakaway segment for tamper evidence, then tamper evidence capability is improved, but the closure becomes more complex and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer tab is divided into a cap-lifting segment and a breakaway segment separated by a frangible border. This segmentation allows the breakaway segment to separate upon opening, providing tamper evidence while keeping the overall structure manageable through functional division.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible border is pre-formed during manufacturing to create a predetermined break point. This preliminary action ensures that the breakaway segment will separate at the intended location during opening, providing reliable tamper evidence without requiring complex real-time mechanisms.
2Strength
If locking features are formed in flexible materials like HDPE or polypropylene, then secure closure is improved, but material deformation occurs making effective locking difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking and tamper-evident features are designed with localized structural characteristics appropriate for flexible materials. The frangible border and tab-locking segments are positioned and dimensioned to concentrate stress in specific areas, enabling effective locking functionality while accommodating the inherent flexibility of HDPE or polypropylene materials.
3Reliability
If the breakaway segment is separated from the flip-top cap to provide tamper evidence, then tamper evidence is improved, but the package cannot be recycled as a single piece
Solution Approach 1:
The breakaway segment, after separating from the flip-top cap, is designed to be retained within the closure body through the tab-receiving aperture. This merging of the separated segment with the closure body allows the entire assembly (closure body plus retained breakaway segment) to be recycled together as a single piece, eliminating the need to separate components for recycling.
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a container and a closure coupled to the container to control release of product therefrom. The closure includes a closure body coupled to the container and a flip-top cap coupled to the closure body and configured to pivot relative to the closure cap between a closed position and an opened position.