Monolithic Dosing Cap Hinge Mechanism for Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dosing cap solutions for bottles suffer from sealing issues, complex configurations, and reduced useful volume due to internal fingers or spacers, leading to leakage and increased device size, as well as complications in plastic molding and assembly of multiple parts.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic, one-piece dosing cap design with an abutment and hinge zone that engages around the bottle neck, exerting axial stress to tear along a predetermined line of rupture, ensuring secure sealing and easy assembly, and featuring a deformation mechanism to open and close without additional parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a finger or spacer is added inside the dosing cap to exert force on the lid during screwing, then the lid opening function is improved, but the useful volume is reduced and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the finger function into the lid structure itself by creating a hinge zone that is an integral part of the lid. The hinge zone is a thinned peripheral annular zone that naturally forms a hinge when the dosing cap is screwed onto the bottle neck, eliminating the need for separate fingers or spacers while maintaining the lid opening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the finger function from the internal volume of the dosing cap and relocates it to the peripheral edge of the lid. This extraction allows the main internal volume to remain fully usable while the hinge function is performed by the thinned peripheral zone, resolving the volume loss problem.
2Ease of operation
If a line of rupture is introduced to tear the lid during screwing, then the lid opening is improved, but sealing reliability deteriorates because the lid can penetrate or move into obstructing positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic hinge zone that transitions from a sealed peripheral contact position to an open position during screwing. The hinge zone remains connected to the lid body through the thinned peripheral annular zone, allowing controlled movement while maintaining sealing throughout the opening process, preventing lid penetration or obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the hinge zone with a thinned peripheral annular zone that acts as a hinge mechanism, providing a controlled and gradual opening process. This pre-designed hinge structure ensures that the lid opens in a predictable manner without sudden movements that could cause penetration or obstruction, maintaining sealing reliability throughout the process.
3Ease of operation
If multiple parts are assembled to achieve the dosing cap function, then the lid opening mechanism is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lid, the hinge mechanism, and the sealing elements into a single monolithic dosing cap structure. The hinge zone is formed as an integral part of the lid during injection molding, eliminating the need for separate components and complex assembly operations while maintaining the sophisticated lid opening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional monolithic structure where a single injection-molded component performs multiple functions: sealing the bottle neck, housing the lid, providing the hinge mechanism for opening, and maintaining structural integrity. This universal design simplifies manufacturing while achieving complex functionality.
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 solution provides reliable sealing, easy assembly, and efficient use of volume, eliminating leakage and complexity issues, while being simple to manufacture in plastic injection molds.
Implementation Method 1
The peripheral annular zone forms a hinge making it possible to open and close the lid by rotating around a transverse axis (X)
Implementation Method 2
the front surface of the neck exerts an axial stress, perpendicular to this transverse zone of increasing amplitude, until causing tearing along the line of rupture
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device made up of a body (4) defining an inner volume (9) to receive a liquid or powdered or pasty composition designed to be transferred into a container having a threaded neck, said device having a skirt (10) provided with a thread complementary to the thread of the neck (2) of said container, and a membrane (8) connected to the inner wall of said body (4) by a generally annular peripheral zone, characterised in that it has a rupture line (12) situated between said peripheral zone (13) and said membrane (8), that annular peripheral zone (13) being configured to bear on the upper surface (16) of the neck (2) of the bottle during screwing of the skirt (10) on the threaded neck of the container and to cause at least a partial rupture of said rupture line (12).