Hinged Container Cap With Recessed Elastomeric Pad
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container caps do not adequately address the need for improved stability, aesthetics, and durability, particularly when used with flowable compositions like personal care products, as they often suffer from pad separation and peeling issues during repeated use.
Innovation Solution
A cap design featuring a lid and base hingedly connected with an elastomeric pad positioned opposite the base contact edge, where the pad is recessed and injection moulded from behind, using a rigid plastic material with a distinct color and circular configuration to enhance grip and stability, and prevent peeling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elastomeric pad is positioned at the base contact edge, then the pad provides grip enhancement, but the pad is prone to separation and peeling during repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric pad is extracted from the base contact edge location and repositioned to the lid surface, specifically to a location opposite the hinge. This removes the pad from the problematic area where it would separate and peel during use, while preserving its grip-enhancing function on the lid surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the pad where it would naturally be expected (at the base contact edge for direct grip), the invention inverts the placement strategy by positioning it on the lid surface opposite the hinge. This counterintuitive placement actually improves both durability and functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pad is injection moulded from the front, then the pad can be easily manufactured, but the pad has a leading edge that can be peeled thus weakening the pad
Solution Approach 1:
The injection moulding direction is inverted from the conventional front-to-back approach. Instead, the pad is injection moulded from behind through the material making up the surround to the pad. This eliminates the leading edge that would otherwise be prone to peeling, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
3Shape
If the pad sits flush with the lid, then the cap provides an aesthetically pleasing profile, but the pad may separate from the lid during repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The lid surface is given a localized recess at the specific location where the pad is positioned (opposite the hinge). This local modification allows the pad to sit flush with the lid for aesthetic purposes while the recess provides mechanical retention to prevent separation during use.
4Ease of manufacture
If the lid and base are made from the same colour rigid material, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the user lacks visual cues as to where to prise the lid from the base
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid material is given a local quality change in the form of a different color at the hinge area. This localized color differentiation provides visual guidance to users about where to apply force to open the cap, while the rest of the cap can be manufactured as a single piece for simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Cap for a container for a flowable composition, the cap comprising a lid (1) and a base (2) hingedly connected to one another, the lid comprising a base contact edge which contacts the base and an elastomeric pad (4) which is apart from the base contact edge.