Pierceable Closure with Hinged Wedges Preventing Bottom Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closures for containers, especially those used for carbonated beverages, face safety hazards and contamination issues due to the loosening of piercable parts during use, leading to potential ingestion and obstruction of the dispensing process.
Innovation Solution
A closure design featuring a piercable part with a sidewall and bottom comprising lines of weakened material strength, dividing them into wedge-shaped parts that remain attached to the base during piercing, preventing material loss and enhancing durability and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a circular line of reduced material thickness is provided at the perimeter of the bottom to allow piercing with a rounded dispensing means, then safety hazards for consumers are overcome, but the bottom of the piercable part loosens from the closure and falls into the container
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom and sidewall are divided into multiple wedge-shaped parts by radial lines of weakened material strength. These segmented parts can pivot independently during piercing, allowing the rounded dispensing means to penetrate safely while each wedge part remains attached to the closure base through its hinge connection, preventing the bottom from loosening and falling into the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional circular cut (which causes the bottom to detach) to a three-dimensional wedge-shaped configuration with hinge connections. The wedge parts can rotate through an arc during piercing, utilizing angular movement in another dimension to achieve both safe piercing and structural retention.
2Ease of operation
If the piercable part is designed to allow easy piercing, then dispensing is facilitated, but parts of the closure can be drawn out of the container together with beverage and swallowed by consumers
Solution Approach 1:
The piercable part is segmented into multiple wedge-shaped sections that pivot independently during piercing. This segmentation allows easy penetration by rounded dispensing means while the hinge connections ensure that even when deformed, the parts remain attached to the closure base and cannot be drawn out with the beverage, eliminating the ingestion hazard.
3Ease of manufacture
If the piercable part uses a flexible diaphragm that can only be pierced with a sharp tip, then piercing is possible, but safety hazards arise for home appliances
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a flexible diaphragm requiring sharp piercing, the invention segments the base into wedge-shaped parts with hinge connections. This allows the use of rounded, safer dispensing means that can penetrate the piercable part by causing the wedge parts to pivot apart, eliminating the need for sharp tips while maintaining piercing capability.
4Reliability
If lines of weakened material strength divide the sidewall and bottom into wedge formed parts, then no material falls into the container during piercing, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The base is segmented into wedge-shaped parts connected by hinges, which may appear complex but can be integrated into a single molded piece during manufacturing. This segmentation ensures that during piercing, the wedge parts pivot independently and remain attached to the closure base, preventing any material from falling into the container and maintaining hygiene without requiring additional separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A closure having a base with a piercable part, defined by a sidewall extending transversally with respect to the base and a bottom thereby creating an indent therein, the sidewall and/or bottom provided with several lines of weakened material strength, wherein the lines divide the sidewall and/or bottom in several wedge formed parts.