Child Resistant Lockable Container with Segmented Button Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lockable containers are often complex and difficult for adults to open quickly while being resistant to accidental or unintentional opening by children or pets, and they are costly to manufacture due to their intricate locking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A lockable container design featuring a tray and a sleeve with a button and foam insert, allowing easy transition between locked and unlocked positions, and a stopping mechanism to prevent complete removal of the tray without excessive force, enabling simple and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex locking mechanism is used to prevent accidental opening by children, then child resistance is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a button element for actuation, a cam element with an inclined surface for mechanical advantage, and a latch element for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall mechanism simple and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism uses dynamic elements including a spring that provides continuous force to maintain the locked state, and a cam with an inclined surface that converts small button movements into large latch movements. This dynamic design enables reliable child resistance through mechanical advantage rather than complex static structures.
2Reliability
If a complex locking mechanism is used to prevent accidental opening by children, then child resistance is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cam element incorporates an inclined surface that provides mechanical advantage, allowing an adult user to easily depress the button and release the latch with minimal force. The spring-loaded design ensures the latch automatically engages when the button is released, providing reliable child resistance without requiring complex operation from users.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring acts as an intermediary element that automatically maintains the locked state without requiring continuous user intervention. This simple automatic engagement mechanism provides reliable child resistance while keeping the operation simple for authorized users.
3Reliability
If intricate locking mechanisms are used to prevent accidental opening, then child resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into simple, discrete components (button, cam, latch, spring) that can be manufactured using standard molding and fabrication processes. This segmentation enables cost-effective production while achieving reliable child resistance through the coordinated action of these simple elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The design uses simple plastic components that can be manufactured at low cost using injection molding. The button, cam, and latch are designed as straightforward molded parts without complex machining requirements, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining functional effectiveness for child resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A lockable container comprising a sleeve having at least three sidewalls defining a pocket, the pocket having at least one entrance, and the pocket adapted for receiving and housing a resilient tray, a least one sidewall of the sleeve having a hole; a resilient tray having three sidewalls, a partial sidewall, a floor and a button, the button located contiguous to the partial sidewall, and hinged to the floor by a cantilevered tab, the resilient tray comprised of a flexible, semi-rigid material; wherein the button is substantially aligned with the hole when the resilient tray is housed within the sleeve, causing the button to protrude through the hole; and wherein the resilient tray is prevented from sliding out of the sleeve unless the button is pressed to disengage the hole.