Child-Resistant Package Slide Mechanism with Spring-Locked Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant packaging designs are no longer effective due to increased intelligence in young children, making it easy for them to access contents, while still being difficult for adults and seniors to open.
Innovation Solution
The package features a rectangular front opening with a slide that has a rectangular wall forming a closure, and includes at least one passage to reach the rear side of the slide, requiring additional operations to move the slide to the intermediate position, thereby preventing young children from opening it while allowing seniors to do so easily.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple slide mechanism is used, then ease of operation is improved, but child resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The extension must be moved out of the recess in advance before the slide can be moved. This preliminary action creates a dependency sequence that simplifies the overall operation for adults while preventing children from opening the package, as they cannot discover or perform the required sequence of actions
Solution Approach 2:
The extension acts as an intermediary element between the slide and the recess. By requiring the extension to be moved out of the recess first, it mediates the opening process in a way that creates an operational barrier for children while maintaining simplicity for adults
2Reliability
If multiple operations are required, then child resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension serves multiple functions: it locks the slide in the recess during normal operation, and when moved out, it enables the slide to be opened. This multi-functionality allows a single element to create multiple operational steps without adding significant structural complexity to the overall mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The extension is designed to be movable between two states: positioned in the recess (locked state) and moved out of the recess (unlocked state). This dynamic characteristic allows the same structure to provide both security and accessibility without requiring separate mechanisms for each function
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 design effectively prevents young children from opening the package by requiring multiple operations, while ensuring that adults and seniors can easily access the contents, thus meeting the standards for child-resistant packaging.
Implementation Method 1
the slide is provided with at least one extension lockable under spring force in the locked position in a recess located in the top wall of the housing near a rear end of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A package comprising a housing and a slide being slidably in a sliding direction accommodated in the housing from a locked position wherein the slide is locked inside the housing and at least an intermediate position wherein the slide is partly located outside a front opening of the housing. The housing comprises at least a bottom wall, a top wall and longitudinal side walls extending in the sliding direction, whereby the bottom wall and the top wall are connected to each other by means of the side walls. The slide is provided with at least one extension lockable under spring force in the locked position in a recess located in the top wall of the housing near a rear end of the housing. The at least one extension is movable against spring force out of the recess to allow the slide to be movable to at least the intermediate position. The front opening of the housing is rectangular. The slide is provided with a rectangular wall forming a closure wall of the rectangular front opening of the housing in the locked position. The housing is provided with at least one passage, through which a rear side of the slide is reachable for pushing the slide from the locked position towards the intermediate position.