Flip-Top Closure Tamper-Evident Element Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closures with flip-top lids lack a clear and direct tamper-evident mechanism to indicate whether the lid has been opened, leading to ambiguity and potential misuse.
Innovation Solution
A closure design featuring a tamper-evident element that is frangibly connected to the base element via bridges, allowing linear movement from a first to a second position, which is operable by the user to indicate opening, with clear feedback and secure latching to prevent movement after initial use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flip-top lid is attached to a base element by a hinge, then the closure can be opened and closed, but there is no clear indication of whether the lid has been opened
Solution Approach 1:
The tamper-evident element is divided into a head portion and a stem portion connected by frangible bridges. This segmentation allows the element to break into distinct parts when the lid is opened, providing clear visual indication of tampering while keeping the overall structure integrated with the closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tamper-evident element is pre-positioned in a first state where the head portion and stem portion are connected via frangible bridges. This preliminary configuration ensures that any attempt to open the lid will automatically trigger the breaking of these bridges, providing immediate and unambiguous tamper indication without requiring additional user actions.
2Loss of information
If a tamper evident element is added to indicate opening, then user awareness is improved, but the closure structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tamper-evident element is merged with the flip-top lid structure, where the stem portion is integrated into the lid and the head portion is positioned to be visible when the lid is opened. This merging eliminates the need for separate tamper indication mechanisms while providing clear visual feedback about the opening status.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a mechanism that remains intact and requires interpretation, the invention uses a mechanism that breaks or changes state when tampering occurs. The frangible bridges are designed to fail upon opening, transforming the tamper indication from a subtle presence to an obvious absence or visible break, making the information immediately apparent.
3Loss of information
If the tamper evident element can move freely, then indication is clear, but rattling and noise occur
Solution Approach 1:
The stem portion of the tamper-evident element acts as an intermediary between the moving head portion and the stationary base element. It provides a controlled connection that allows the head to move into a visible position when opened, while the frangible bridges prevent excessive movement or rattling by breaking in a controlled manner rather than allowing free movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible bridges are designed with specific local properties - they are positioned and dimensioned to break at precise locations and under specific conditions. This local quality control ensures that the tamper-evident element moves enough to provide clear indication but not enough to cause rattling or noise, achieving the right balance of visibility and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a closure for a container with a base element directly or indirectly attachable to a container, a flip-top lid attached to the base element by a hinge such that the flip-top lid can be moved between an opened and a closed position, and a tamper evident element for indicating whether the flip-top lid had been opened at least once by a user or not. The flip-top lid comprises a top cover element and an outer side wall extending therefrom. The tamper evident element is linearly movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the flip-top lid further comprises an inner side wall, which extends only around a part of the circumference of the closure, wherein at least parts of the inner side wall and at least parts of the outer side wall together form guidance means for enabling and controlling the linear movement.