Locking Cap Cage Structure for Ergonomic Gloved Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking caps for containers, particularly those used for pharmaceutical products, face challenges in ergonomics and repeatability due to difficulties in gripping and holding the thin opening tab, especially when gloves are worn, making it hard to reproducibly open the cap and access the contents.
Innovation Solution
A locking cap design featuring a breakable strip, a capsule rigidly connected to the strip, and a cage with flexible members and weak points, allowing for ergonomic and secure removal of the stopper by overmolding various plastic materials to facilitate gripping and ensure repeatable opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a thin opening tab is used in the locking cap, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates when gloves are worn
Solution Approach 1:
The locking cap is divided into distinct functional segments: an outer body with a breakable strip, an inner body with a cage structure, and a removable stopper. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the outer body provides a large gripping surface for ease of operation, while the inner cage provides the locking function with minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible member acts as an intermediary element that connects the breakable strip to the cage structure. When the breakable strip is fractured, the flexible member transmits the breaking force to the cage, enabling the stopper to be released without requiring direct manipulation of thin tabs.
2Ease of operation
If a breakable strip design is used, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of repeatable opening deteriorates due to difficulty in gripping
Solution Approach 1:
The outer body is designed with differentiated local qualities: the breakable strip region has reduced thickness and increased flexibility to facilitate breaking, while the gripping surface area maintains sufficient thickness and rigidity to provide a secure grip even when gloves are worn. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of breaking and ease of gripping.
3Strength
If the cage is locked in the outer body, then the strength of the locking mechanism is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to overmolding complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure is nested within the outer body, with the cage's upper ring positioned inside the outer body's opening. This nesting arrangement allows the components to be manufactured separately and then assembled through simple insertion, avoiding the complexity of overmolding while maintaining the locked configuration and locking strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking cap for a container comprising a neck comprises: —an outer body, defined by an upper face and a cylindrical wall, and including a breakable strip extending from the upper face to a free end of the cylindrical wall, —a capsule, arranged on the upper face and rigidly connected to the breakable strip, —a cage, locked in the outer body, having a generally cylindrical shape, and comprising a plurality of bridges connecting neighboring branches, and a flexible member, one end of which is rigidly connected to a bridge and another free end of which is oriented upward, the flexible member being adjacent to a weak point of the bridge. The flexible member of the cage is rigidly connected to the breakable strip of the outer body.