Child Resistant Container Inverting Cap Key Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant container designs fail to effectively prevent children from accessing potentially harmful spray products, as they can still find ways to activate the spray mechanism, posing a risk of accidental exposure to harmful substances.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant container with an inverting cap top key mechanism that includes a container main body, an inner cap with key slots, and an outer cap with upwardly projecting keys, allowing the outer cap to be inverted and used to push down on the spray activator nozzle for activation, providing an additional layer of protection by requiring deliberate action to release the contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional child-resistant cap is used, then the container provides basic safety, but children can still activate the spray mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two separate components: an inner cap that threads onto the container and an outer cap that fits over the inner cap. The outer cap contains the spray activation key, while the inner cap has corresponding key slots. This segmentation prevents children from accidentally activating the spray, as they would need to manipulate both caps in a specific sequence to access the activation key.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer cap is designed to fit over the inner cap, creating a nested structure. The outer cap contains the spray activation key, while the inner cap has corresponding key slots. This nested design ensures that the activation key is protected within the inner cap structure, requiring deliberate manipulation to access and use the key for spray activation.
2Ease of operation
If the outer cap is removed and inverted for spray activation, then spray access is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer cap is designed to be inverted for spray activation. When inverted, the spray activation key on the outer cap aligns with and inserts into the corresponding key slot on the inner cap, enabling the spray mechanism. This inversion mechanism provides a clear, deliberate action that distinguishes intentional spray activation from accidental access, while the key-slot alignment ensures proper orientation.
3Reliability
If the inner cap has key slots and the outer cap has projecting keys, then spray activation is controlled, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The key slots on the inner cap and the projecting keys on the outer cap are designed with asymmetric geometries that must align in a specific orientation for spray activation. This asymmetric design ensures that the caps can only be properly assembled and activated in the correct orientation, providing reliable spray control while the asymmetric features guide proper alignment during assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A child resistant container with inverting cap top key for spray activation includes (a) a container main body adapted to receive a sprayer container with a top-positioned spray activator and spray nozzle; (b) an inner cap adapted for permanent connection to the open top of the container main body and having at least one key slot to permit at least one key to be inserted therein to permit a spray activator of a spray container to be activated by depression; (c) cut-out(s) to expose the spray activator nozzle when needed; (d) an outer cap to fit over the inner cap and having upwardly projecting key(s) for spray activation when the outer cap is inverted and inserted into the inner cap.