Rotatable Lever Closure System for Pressurized Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container opening systems, such as Stay on Tab and peel-seam systems, often require excessive force to open and can expose users to sharp edges, making them difficult to use and reclose, especially when pressurized, and may result in spillage or contamination.
Innovation Solution
A container closure system featuring a rotatable lever that, when moved axially, breaks the adhesive bond between the end panel and cover panel, allowing for easy opening and reclosing without sharp edges, utilizing a mechanical lever mechanism to reduce the force required to release pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a scored opening line with tab lever is used to create easy opening functionality, then the container can be opened without separate tools, but excessive force is required to initiate opening and release internal pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The opening system is divided into multiple functional zones: a scored opening line for panel separation, a membrane seal for controlled aperture creation, and a tab lever for user actuation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing the force needed compared to breaking through the entire panel at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is pre-positioned over the aperture and the scored line is pre-formed in the panel before use. When the user activates the tab, the opening process follows a predetermined path that requires less force than creating the opening from scratch, as the structural weaknesses have been prepared in advance.
2Ease of operation
If a scored opening line is used to create full aperture openings, then the entire panel can be removed for access, but sharp edges are exposed creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
A membrane seal acts as an intermediary layer between the user and the aperture. The membrane can be peeled back or repositioned to provide access when needed, while its flexible nature prevents the creation of sharp edges. The membrane edges remain soft and pliable even after repeated opening and closing operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the tab remains affixed to the end panel after opening (Stay on Tab system), then loose tabs are eliminated for safety, but the system does not lend itself to reclosing since the score line break deforms the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system separates the functions of opening and reclosing. The scored line provides a clean separation path that maintains panel integrity, while the membrane seal provides the actual closure barrier. This segmentation allows the panel to be reopened and reclosed multiple times without deformation, as the membrane rather than the panel structure provides the seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane seal can be peeled back during opening and then repositioned or folded back into place for reclosing. The membrane material is designed to maintain its sealing properties even after being peeled and repositioned, enabling multiple opening and closing cycles while the tab remains affixed for safety.
4Reliability
If adhesive bonding is used to seal the cover panel to the end panel, then a hermetic seal is achieved, but excessive force is required to break the bond for opening
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into the adhesive bond between the cover panel flange and end panel, and the membrane seal at the aperture. The adhesive provides the hermetic seal with sufficient strength for storage and transport, while the membrane provides the opening interface. This segmentation allows the adhesive bond to be optimized for seal integrity without requiring it to be the sole opening resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the closure system have different bonding characteristics. The adhesive bond around the perimeter of the cover panel flange provides strong hermetic sealing, while the membrane at the aperture provides a controlled opening path. This local differentiation of bonding quality allows easy opening at the aperture while maintaining overall seal integrity.
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 system allows for easy access and reduced force to open pressurized containers, minimizing spillage and contamination, while enabling secure reclosure and reducing the risk of injury from sharp edges.
Implementation Method 1
A rotatable lever is interposed between the end panel and cover panel. The lever is bonded at one end to the end panel and the cover panel through a rivet or other structural element.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved easy opening closure wherein a cover panel is bonded to a container end panel around the perimeter of an aperture through the end panel. A rotating lever is connected to a proximal lever through a rivet acting as a fulcrum such that, as pressure is applied to rotate the rotating lever axially around the rivet, the force is magnified which allows the proximal lever selectively debonds an isolated region of the perimeter, thereby allowing pressure within the container to escape. Continued rotation of the rotating lever further debonds the cover panel from the end panel. The leading edge of the rotating lever wedges between the end panel and the cover panel at the opposite edge of the aperture, thereby cleaving and debonding the connection between the panels at that edge.