Hinge Lid Container Sliding Element Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge-lid containers for consumer goods, such as smoking articles, require consumers to use one hand to hold the container and another to operate the sliding element, making them inconvenient for single-handed access and potentially leading to accidental opening.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a housing with elongate slits in the side walls to mount a sliding element, allowing it to move between closed and open positions, enabling single-handed operation and retention within the container, thus eliminating the need for external support and reducing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional slide and shell container is used with an outer shell and inner slide, then the lid can be opened, but it requires two hands to operate (one to hold the box, one to move the sliding element)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the box and sliding element into a single integrated structure where the sliding element is mounted directly on the box sides via elongate slits. This eliminates the separate outer shell component, allowing the sliding element to be operated with one hand while the box remains stable on the surface, thereby achieving single-handed operation without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the outer shell from the traditional slide and shell container design. By eliminating this component and mounting the sliding element directly on the box, the design simplifies the structure while enabling single-handed operation, as the box itself provides the stable base rather than requiring a separate outer shell
2Area of stationary object
If a traditional slide and shell container is used with an outer shell, then the lid can be opened, but more material is required and less area is available for consumer communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the outer shell component from the traditional design, eliminating the material it would consume. This extraction also eliminates the obstruction it would create on the container surface, thereby maximizing the available area for consumer communication and branding while reducing overall material usage
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the sliding element directly onto the box structure rather than using a separate outer shell, the patent reduces the total material required. The box itself serves as the structural base, eliminating redundant materials and increasing the surface area available for consumer-facing communication
3Reliability
If the sliding element is not retained within the container, then it can be easily removed, but it may be inadvertently removed from the container
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding element is nested within the box structure through elongate slits that allow movement but prevent removal. The retention tabs engage with the box interior, creating a nested relationship where the sliding element is securely held in place during operation but can still move freely between open and closed positions, ensuring reliability without compromising ease of operation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a
AI summary
A container (2) for consumer goods comprises: a housing (4) and a first sliding element (6). The housing (4) comprises a box (21) and a lid (28) hingedly connected to the box (21) across a hinge line (37) extending across the box back wall (25). Each side wall (22,24) of the box (21) includes an elongate slit (30), wherein the two elongate slits (30) are substantially parallel to each other. The first sliding element (6) is mounted in the elongate slits (30) of the box side walls (22,24) for movement therealong between a first position, in which the lid (28) is closed, and a second position, in which the lid (28) is open. The lid comprises a lid flap (45) which is arranged between the sliding element (6) and the box (21) such that an engagement of the lid flap (45) and the sliding element (6) is capable of opening the lid (21), wherein the lid flap (45) is capable of engaging with the sliding element (6) during movement of the sliding element from the first position to the second position.