Single-Piece Fluid Container Closure with Slit Skirt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw cap closures for wine bottles often have complex designs and high production costs, failing to provide an optimal cost-performance ratio and effective sealing due to their multi-part construction and material inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A cost-efficient closure design featuring a single-piece plastic outer shell with a top deck and rotationally symmetric skirt, incorporating slits for easy breakage, an elongated stabilizing section, retaining means, and robust torque engagement mechanisms, made from environmentally friendly materials like recycled plastics or bioplastics, ensuring secure sealing and alignment with the neck finish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-part construction is used for the closure, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional components (sealing means, stabilizing section, retaining means, torque engagement means) into a single integrated closure body made of plastic material. This single-piece construction eliminates the need for separate parts while maintaining all necessary functions through clever design of the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure body is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides sealing (via sealing means), stabilization (via elongated stabilizing section), retention (via retaining means), and torque engagement (via torque engagement means). This universal design consolidates multiple functions into one component, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional screw cap designs are used, then the sealing function is achieved, but the production cost is high due to material inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function with the structural body into a single integrated component rather than using separate sealing elements. This reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, thereby lowering production costs while maintaining effective sealing through the integrated sealing means.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure is designed to be made from environmentally friendly materials such as recycled plastics or bioplastics, changing the material parameters to reduce production costs and environmental impact while maintaining the necessary sealing performance and structural integrity.
3Ease of operation
If the closure is designed to break into portions, then the opening ease is improved, but the structural integrity during sealing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The closure body incorporates predetermined break lines that allow it to be divided into portions upon opening. This segmentation is designed into the structure from the beginning, allowing the closure to maintain integrity during sealing while enabling easy opening by breaking along these predetermined lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The break lines are pre-designed and pre-positioned in the closure body during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when opening is required, the closure will break cleanly along these predetermined paths without compromising the sealing integrity that was established during the closed state.
Data Source
AI summary
A closure (1) for a fluid container includes a top deck (11), a skirt (13) extending from the top deck (11) in an axial direction (−z), wherein the skirt (13) comprises a screw thread (14), slits (17) in the skirt (13), an elongated stabilizing section (15) and retaining means on the inside of the skirt (13) for engagement of a collar (36B) of the neck finish (31) of the fluid container (3). The closure includes torque engagement means (12) arranged on the outside of the top deck (11) for interacting with a torqueing member during fitting of the closure (1).