Mouth Plug Portion With Ratchet Cap And Tamper Band
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mouth plug portion designs, such as those with screw-based attachments and undercut structures, require significant effort and rotation for opening and closing, making them difficult for children, elderly, and patients, and can lead to leakage and reduced closing ability over time.
Innovation Solution
A mouth plug portion design featuring a tubular nozzle with guide and ratchet protrusions and a cap with a tamper band, where the cap is detachably fitted to the nozzle, allowing easy opening and closing with a reduced rotation force, and a tamper band that breaks upon initial opening, ensuring secure closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap and nozzle are screwed with each other, then the closing ability is improved, but the opening and closing operation becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cap structure is divided into multiple functional components: a cap body with a first inner protrusion for locking, a second inner protrusion for guidance, and a tamper band with weak portions. The nozzle includes corresponding features like a locking surface, guide surfaces, and outer protrusions. This segmentation allows different parts to perform specific functions (locking, guiding, tamper evidence) independently, enabling easy opening/closing while maintaining secure closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap transitions from a static screwed connection to a dynamic bayonet-style connection that rotates and locks into place. The first inner protrusion locks onto the locking surface during rotation, while the second inner protrusion moves along the guide surface. This dynamic mechanism reduces the opening/closing effort compared to traditional screwing while maintaining reliable closure.
2Reliability
If a tamper band is added to provide tamper evidence, then the security is improved, but the opening power required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tamper band is pre-configured with weak portions at specific locations that are designed to break during normal opening operations. These weak portions are positioned to engage with outer protrusions on the nozzle during the rotation process. The breaking of these pre-positioned weak portions provides tamper evidence while requiring only normal opening force, not excessive force.
Solution Approach 2:
The tamper band uses a disposable element (the weak portions) that is intentionally designed to break during first use. This broken state serves as permanent evidence of opening. The weak portions are made of material that breaks easily under normal opening force, ensuring that tamper evidence is provided without increasing the opening power requirement.
3Ease of operation
If the cap is detachably fitted without screwing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the closing ability deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism uses curved or angled surfaces rather than flat surfaces. The locking surface on the nozzle and the first inner protrusion on the cap create a locking engagement through rotational movement. The guide surface provides a curved path for the second inner protrusion to follow during attachment. These curved geometries ensure consistent engagement and maintain closing ability over repeated use.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap-nozzle connection changes from a threaded parameter (screw rotation) to a bayonet-style rotational locking parameter. The locking surface and first inner protrusion engage at specific angular positions during rotation. This parameter change allows for quick attachment/detachment while maintaining reliable closure through the locking engagement, preventing the closing ability from deteriorating over time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A structure of a mouth plug portion (S) includes a nozzle (2A) and a cap (3), the nozzle includes a first outer protrusion (5) and a second outer protrusion (6A, 6B), the first outer protrusion includes a locking surface (5a) that locks the cap and a first guide surface (5b) spirally extending, the cap includes a cap body (3A) and a tamper band (3B) provided with a weak portion (3i) that can be broken by an external force received from the second outer protrusion during rotation of the cap body, the cap body includes a first inner protrusion (7) and a second inner protrusion (8), an outer peripheral surface (2a) of the nozzle is provided with a second guide surface (2d) along which the first inner protrusion and the second inner protrusion can move in an axial direction.