Hinged Bottle Closure With Biasing Member For Tamper Evidence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle closures lack effective tamper evidence mechanisms that remain functional until disposal or recycling, posing a challenge in ensuring product integrity and consumer safety.
Innovation Solution
A hinged sealing closure system with a first and second skirt, frangible members, and a biasing member that creates a sealing and attachment formation, allowing for a secure engagement with the bottle neck while enabling easy opening and remaining in the open position, featuring a tab for detachment and a biasing mechanism for tamper evidence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional closure is used, then the bottle can be closed and opened easily, but there is no effective tamper evidence mechanism that remains functional until disposal or recycling
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into multiple functional segments: a first skirt with sealing formation, a second skirt with attachment formation, frangible members connecting the skirts, and a biasing member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function (sealing, attaching, breaking for tamper evidence, and providing force) while collectively achieving tamper evidence capability without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member is pre-loaded to maintain the sealing formation in constant contact with the bottle neck before any tampering occurs. This preliminary application of force ensures sealing integrity is established in advance, and any deviation from the predetermined breaking force of the frangible members immediately indicates tampering.
2Reliability
If a secure sealing mechanism is implemented, then product integrity is ensured, but the closure may become difficult to open
Solution Approach 1:
The closure transitions from a static sealed state to a dynamic opening state through the controlled breaking of frangible members. The biasing member provides continuous sealing force during the closed state, while the frangible members are designed to break at a predetermined force, enabling easy opening when needed without compromising sealing integrity during normal use.
3Reliability
If frangible members are used for tamper evidence, then tamper detection is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible members are integrated into the closure structure by attaching them to both the first and second skirts, merging the tamper evidence function with the existing sealing and attachment mechanisms. This combination allows tamper detection capability to be added without requiring entirely separate components, thereby reducing the increase in overall device complexity.
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 closure provides a secure sealing mechanism that remains effective until disposal, ensuring tamper evidence and easy opening, enhancing product safety and usability.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing member is attached to the first skirt between the hinge members and extends downwardly from the first skirt to interact with the neck portion of the bottle such that the sealing formation of the inner surface of the first skirt and the mating sealing formation of the bottle are biased toward each other
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of frangible members each has first and second edges and are each attached to a respective skirt to form a gap between the first and second skirts. The first edges of the frangible members are each attached to the first skirt with frangible formations
Data Source
AI summary
A closure includes a hinged sealing element including a top wall and a first skirt. The first skirt has a sealing formation allowing engagement of a mating sealing formation of a bottle. A second skirt has an attachment formation engageable with a mating attachment formation of the bottle. A plurality of frangible members is attached to each of the skirts. A pair of hinge members is attached between the first and second skirts. A biasing member is attached to the first skirt between the hinge members and extending downwardly from the first skirt to interact with a neck portion of the bottle such that the sealing formation of the first skirt and the mating sealing formation of the bottle are biased toward each other.