Rotating Cap with Integrated Separating Part for Clean Opening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle caps face issues such as pull-ring tearing, difficulty in opening for children and the elderly due to increased force requirements, design restrictions with small diameters, and post-opening clutter and hygiene concerns with material storage caps.
Innovation Solution
A cap design featuring an inside plug and upper closure that forms an airtight space with a separating part, allowing for easy and reliable opening via rotation, eliminating the need for a pull-ring and preventing the separating part from dropping into the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pull-ring is used for opening the cap, then the cap can be opened by pulling, but the pull-ring may tear off at weld or easy-to-tear parts making opening impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pull-ring component entirely from the cap structure. Instead of using a separate pull-ring that can tear, the opening is achieved by rotating the cap body itself, which eliminates the weak weld points and tearing risks associated with pull-rings while maintaining ease of opening operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the linear pulling mechanism of the pull-ring with a rotational mechanical system. The cap body rotates relative to the bottle, and this rotation drives the separating part to move linearly and form the opening, substituting a potentially fragile pulling system with a more reliable rotating system
2Reliability
If the score part is made thick to prevent pinholes, then pinhole prevention is improved, but the force needed for opening increases making opening difficult for children and elderly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cap into multiple functional segments: the cap body, the separating part, and the score part. The score part is designed as a thin, easy-to-break section specifically for opening, while the separating part can be made thicker for pinhole prevention. This segmentation allows different parts to have different thicknesses optimized for their specific functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic opening mechanism where the separating part moves relative to the cap body during rotation. The score part is designed to break at a specific point during this dynamic process, allowing controlled opening with minimal force while maintaining structural integrity elsewhere
3Ease of operation
If the pull-ring size is made large for various users' fingers, then ease of gripping is improved, but the pull-ring becomes unsuitable for small diameter inside plug restricting overall design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pull-ring component entirely, eliminating the conflict between its size requirements for gripping and the space constraints for small diameter plugs. The opening function is integrated into the cap body rotation mechanism itself, allowing the cap to maintain a compact size while remaining easy to operate
Solution Approach 2:
The cap body serves multiple functions: it provides the structural housing, acts as the gripping surface for opening, and drives the separating part through rotation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components like pull-rings, allowing the design to adapt to various sizes without compromising ease of operation
4Quantity of substance
If a material storage part with bottom lid is used, then material storage capability is improved, but the bottle cap becomes longer than necessary and the bottom lid remains in the bottle causing hygiene concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate bottom lid component from the material storage part. Instead of having a lid that drops into the bottle, the opening mechanism is integrated into the cap body itself, eliminating the extra length and the hygiene issue of a detached lid remaining in the container
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the material storage part with the cap body structure. The separating part that forms the opening is integrated into the storage part, eliminating the need for a separate bottom lid. This integration reduces the overall cap length while maintaining material storage capability and avoiding hygiene concerns
5Quantity of substance
If a material storage part with bottom lid is used, then material storage capability is improved, but the entire bottom lid has to be sterilized beforehand for hygiene
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate bottom lid component that would require sterilization. The opening function is achieved through the cap body's rotating separating part, eliminating the need for a detached lid component that would need to be sterilized separately
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the opening mechanism with the cap body structure itself. The separating part is an integral component of the cap that moves during rotation to form the opening, eliminating the need for a separate sterilizable bottom lid component
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a cap capable of being easily and reliably opened and unsealed not limited in design even if an inner cap with a small diameter is used for the cap, producing no refuse after the unsealing, and not unnecessarily large in size, and a container with the cap. When an over cap (3) is rotated in the opening direction, a pair of screw threads (10a, 10b) as opening means are advanced in the direction in which they are tightened together, and this cuts off an planned opening section (4) from the inner cap (2). Thus, the cap has a relatively simple structure and can be simply and reliably unsealed by small force. Further, it is enough if the screw threads (10a, 10b) can be formed in the region of the opening, so that the structure can be applied to a cap with an inner cap with a small diameter and the design of the cap (1) is not limited. Also, the planned opening section (4) is integrated with the over cap (3) after unsealing the inner cap (2), so that no refuse is produced after the unsealing, eliminating the need to clear it away from a table.