Rotating Lever Closure for Tight Screw-Top Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users, especially the elderly or those with weakened physical conditions, face difficulties in opening tightly sealed screw-top containers due to the small or large diameter of the lid, which requires excessive force and can be challenging without a separate tool.
Innovation Solution
A closure system featuring a lid with an integrated lever that rotates between a storage position within the lid's footprint and a use position extending beyond the lid's perimeter, amplifying the torque applied to the lid by increasing the distance from the rotational axis, allowing easier opening and closing with less force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the lid diameter is small to reduce container size, then the container becomes more compact, but the user cannot get a good handgrip on the lid
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the problem from two dimensions (lid diameter) to three dimensions by adding a lever that projects outward from the lid surface. This allows the effective operating diameter to increase without increasing the container's footprint, as the lever utilizes vertical space rather than horizontal space.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the lid. Instead of gripping the lid directly, the user applies force to the lever, which then transfers this force to the lid through a stop or pivot point, enabling operation of small-lid containers without direct hand contact with the lid itself.
2Ease of operation
If the lid diameter is large to improve handgrip, then the user can grip the lid easily, but the container size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the gripping interface from the horizontal plane (lid surface) to the vertical dimension by extending the lever outward. This allows the effective gripping radius to increase without proportionally increasing the container's volume or horizontal footprint.
3Reliability
If the sealing force is increased to ensure tight seal, then the container seal reliability improves, but the force required to open the container increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is pre-positioned on the lid, ready for use. When opening is required, the user simply needs to engage the lever rather than gathering tools or applying complex forces. The lever's geometry is pre-configured to provide mechanical advantage, converting small user forces into the large forces needed to overcome tight seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever serves as a force amplification intermediary between the user and the lid. By applying force at a distance from the pivot point, the user generates amplified torque that is transmitted to the lid through the stop, enabling opening of tightly sealed containers without requiring the user to directly apply large forces.
4Force
If a separate opening tool is used to open tight seals, then the force required to open the container decreases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the opening tool functionality directly into the lid structure by integrating the lever and stop mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate opening tools while providing the same force amplification benefit, as the lever is permanently attached to or integrated with the lid itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid becomes self-servicing by including its own opening assistance mechanism. The integrated lever allows the lid to assist in its own opening process without requiring external tools, making the system more user-friendly and reducing the need for additional components.
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 integrated lever system reduces the force required to open and close containers, making it easier for users to remove the lid from the container, particularly beneficial for those with limited strength or dexterity, and eliminates the need for a separate opening tool.
Implementation Method 1
the lever is in the use position, the lever extends outwardly beyond the outermost perimeter of the lid contacting the stop of the lid such that force applied to lever is transferred to the lid via the stop
Data Source
AI summary
A closure, for rotatably coupling with a container to cover an opening of the container, includes a lid and a lever. The lid includes a primary panel defining a top surface, a skirt configured to couple with the container, and a stop positioned adjacent the top surface of the primary panel. The lid defines an outermost perimeter, and a footprint of the lid is defined within the outermost perimeter. The lever is rotably coupled with the lid to rotate relative to the lid between a use position and a storage position. When the lever is in the storage position, the lever is maintained substantially within the footprint of the lid. When the lever is in the use position, the lever extends outwardly beyond the outermost perimeter of the lid contacting the stop of the lid such that force applied to lever is transferred to the lid via the stop.