Hinged Container Cap With Detachable Trace Band for Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container caps with separable plastic belts for traceability are difficult to recycle and cumbersome to separate, contributing to environmental pollution and waste.
Innovation Solution
A container cap design featuring a main body part integrated with a cover part via a hinge, a separation part connected by a first connection, and a fixing part for easy detachment, allowing for simple recycling and improved sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separable plastic belt is used for traceability, then the container cap can indicate usage status, but the plastic materials become difficult to recycle and the separation operation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The container cap is divided into three main segments: the body, the cover, and the use trace belt. These segments are connected through integrally formed connection structures (first and second connection structures) that allow the belt to remain attached during normal use but enable easy separation at the end of the cap's lifecycle for recycling purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structures between the use trace belt and the cap components are designed with predetermined separation lines and bridge structures that are intentionally weakened. This preliminary design allows the belt to stay connected during use but separates easily when recycling is needed, without requiring complex manual separation operations.
2Reliability
If a separable plastic belt is used for traceability, then the container cap can indicate usage status, but the amount of plastic waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The use trace belt is integrally formed with the body and cover through connection structures created in a single plastic injection molding process. This merging of components into a unified structure eliminates the need for separate assembly steps and ensures that the belt remains part of the recyclable plastic mass, reducing overall plastic waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables the use trace belt to be easily separated from the cap body and cover through predetermined separation lines. This allows the belt to be discarded or recovered independently after serving its traceability function, while the main cap components can be recycled separately, minimizing total plastic waste.
3Reliability
If the cover part is integrally connected by a hinge, then the sealing force is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connecting the cover to the body is integrally formed as part of the plastic injection molding process, merging what could be a separate mechanical component into the cap's monolithic structure. This maintains strong sealing force while avoiding the complexity of assembled hinge mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge structure utilizes the plastic material's inherent flexibility and elasticity parameters to achieve the desired rotational movement and sealing force. By controlling the hinge's geometric parameters (width, thickness, location) during molding, the design achieves complex functionality without adding structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a container cap coupled to the mouth of a container in which contents are contained; and a container to which the container cap is coupled. The container cap includes: a main body part coupled to a container inlet of a container and having an opening formed on an upper side thereof; a cover part connected to the main body part by a hinge part and opening and closing an upper opening of the main body part by hinge rotation; a separation part connected to the cover part by a first connection part and connected to the main body part by a second connection part detachably; and a fixing part formed on the cover part so that the separation part is fixedly coupled thereto after the second connection part is separated by a user's manipulation so that the cover part can be separated from the main body part.