Child-resistant, pressurizable, and resealable package
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food or beverage packages often lack multiple safety features such as child-resistance, pressurizability, resealability, and tamper-evidence, with many designs being complex, costly, or ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece closure assembly with an inner and outer shell, featuring internal and external threads, retention beads, and child-resistant engagement features, which allows for a push-and-turn mechanism to ensure child-resistance, pressurizability, resealability, and optional tamper-evidence through a shrink sleeve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a package includes multiple features (child-resistant, tamper-evident, pressurizable, resealable), then safety and usability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure assembly is divided into multiple functional components: an inner shell with pressurizable and resealable features, an outer shell with tamper-evident features, and a crown closure with child-resistant engagement features. Each component performs specific functions, allowing the complex system to be managed through modular segments that can be manufactured and assembled separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure assembly employs a nested structure where the inner shell is positioned within the outer shell, and both are coupled to the crown closure. The inner shell contains pressurizable and resealable features, while the outer shell provides tamper-evident protection. This nesting allows multiple features to be integrated in a compact arrangement without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
2Reliability
If a package includes multiple safety features, then safety and usability are improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure assembly is designed so that a single integrated structure provides multiple safety and functional features. The inner shell serves both pressurizable and resealable functions, while the outer shell provides tamper-evident protection. The crown closure integrates child-resistant engagement features. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, potentially lowering manufacturing costs despite the advanced features.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the closure assembly into distinct functional components (inner shell, outer shell, crown closure), each can be manufactured using optimized processes for its specific requirements. This allows for cost-effective production of each segment that can then be assembled, rather than requiring a single complex manufacturing process for the entire assembly.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If child-resistant engagement features are added to the closure assembly, then child-resistance is improved, but ease of operation may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The child-resistant engagement features utilize a dynamic push-and-turn mechanism. The inner shell and outer shell are configured to engage through a pushing motion that activates the child-resistant features, followed by a turning motion for opening or closing. This dynamic sequence ensures child-resistance while maintaining operational functionality for authorized users who can perform the required motion sequence.
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a container with a crown closure bead and an external thread segment having a diameter greater than that of the crown closure bead, a crown closure coupled to the crown closure bead, and a multi-piece closure assembly coupled to the crown closure and the container. The closure assembly includes an inner shell, a seal liner carried by the inner shell and positioned against the crown closure, and an outer shell. The inner shell has an inner skirt having at least one internal thread segment to cooperate with the external thread segment of the container. The outer shell has an outer skirt with an internal retention bead for cooperating with an external retention bead of the inner shell to retain the shells together in an axial direction, and outer child-resistant engagement features to cooperate with inner child-resistant engagement features of the inner shell.