Child-Resistant Package With Nested Unlocking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging solutions for electronic smoking devices and related products fail to prevent unauthorized access, particularly by children, without compromising the aesthetic appeal or interfering with advertising concepts.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring an inner tray with recesses and a removable sleeve, utilizing pairs of cavities and protrusions with integrated unlocking elements that require simultaneous pressure application to unlock and open, ensuring secure closure and visibility of the products while maintaining a premium appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-trivial opening mechanism is integrated into the package to prevent unauthorized access by children, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but the optical appearance and advertising concepts of the package are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The unlocking elements are nested within the sleeve structure, hidden from external view when the package is closed. The cavities are formed within the sleeve body, and the protrusions are integrated into the tray structure. This nesting approach allows the security mechanism to function effectively while remaining invisible when the package is in its closed, presentable state, thus resolving the contradiction between security and optical appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the tray and the cover. It contains the unlocking mechanism and provides a smooth transition between the open and closed states. The sleeve's design allows it to engage with both the tray (via protrusions and cavities) and the cover, enabling secure closure while maintaining aesthetic appearance from the outside.
2Reliability
If a non-trivial opening mechanism is integrated into the package to prevent unauthorized access by children, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The package is segmented into distinct functional components: the tray for holding products, the sleeve for containing the unlocking mechanism, and the cover for protection. The unlocking mechanism itself is segmented into multiple independent cavity-protrusion pairs, each with its own unlocking element. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately and assembled, managing complexity through modularity while achieving reliable child-resistant functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The unlocking mechanism is designed to be self-operating through the user's natural actions. When the user presses the unlocking elements, the cavities automatically unlock from the protrusions through the mechanical interaction built into the structure. The spring elements provide automatic resetting of the locking mechanism after opening, eliminating the need for additional motors, sensors, or complex control systems.
3Reliability
If multiple cavity-protrusion pairs with unlocking elements are used to secure the package, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each cavity-protrusion pair is designed with localized features that concentrate the locking function at specific points. The springs are positioned at specific locations within the cavities, and the unlocking elements are placed at predetermined positions on the sleeve. This local concentration of functional qualities allows for tighter tolerances only where needed, rather than requiring high precision throughout the entire component, thus managing manufacturing complexity while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a package for accommodating products. The package comprises an inner tray, a cover and a removable sleeve. The inner tray comprises a plurality of protrusions. The package comprises a plurality of cavities and protrusions, wherein the respective cavities interlock with the protrusions. The package comprises further a plurality of unlocking elements adapted such that in the coupled state of the package, the respective cavity unlocks from the respective protrusion when a pressure is applied to the respective unlocking element.