Safety Bottle Cap with Tearable Control Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle closures fail to provide a high protection level against unauthorized refilling while maintaining a simple construction, aesthetic appearance, and safe use, with some solutions leaving sharp edges or protruding elements after the control band is removed.
Innovation Solution
A safety bottle cap composed of a metal cover connected to a plastic body via adhesive, featuring tearable bridges and a control ring that completely tears upon first opening, preventing refilling by engaging with the bottle neck's groove and using inner and outer ribs for centering and sealing, along with a tongue for easy removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-element valve system is used to prevent refilling, then protection level is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two main segments: an upper cap portion and a lower control band portion connected by frangible bridges. This segmentation allows the control band to be separated from the main cap body upon opening, providing a simple yet effective anti-refilling mechanism without complex multi-element valve systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control band is extracted as a separate functional element that can be completely removed from the bottle neck upon opening. This extracted control band serves as the primary anti-refilling mechanism, eliminating the need for complex integrated valve systems while maintaining high protection levels.
2Ease of operation
If a control band is removed after opening, then ease of operation is improved, but sharp edges or protruding elements may remain causing safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The control band is designed with specific local qualities: the inner peripheral surface is smooth and substantially axially extending, creating a substantially axially extending smooth surface that contacts the bottle neck. This local quality ensures safe removal without sharp edges while maintaining the anti-refilling function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having sharp edges that need to be removed, the control band is designed with smooth surfaces from the outset. The frangible bridges are positioned such that when broken, they leave clean edges, and the control band's inner surface is specifically formed to be smooth and safe for contact.
3Reliability
If a complex valve system is used, then protection level is improved, but aesthetic appearance and simplicity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-refilling function and the closure function are merged into a single integrated cap design. The control band with frangible bridges provides anti-refilling protection while the overall cap structure maintains a simple, clean aesthetic appearance suitable for cosmetic bottles, eliminating the need for separate valve mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap structure serves multiple functions: the upper cap portion provides closure, the control band provides anti-refilling protection, and the frangible bridges provide the opening mechanism. This multi-functionality is achieved within a simple, unified design that maintains aesthetic appearance without requiring separate specialized components.
4Ease of operation
If tearable bridges are used for opening, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible bridges are pre-formed during the cap manufacturing process as integral parts of the cap structure. The bridges are positioned and dimensioned in advance to ensure they break at the correct location and provide reliable opening functionality, reducing the need for post-manufacturing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is formed from a single thermoplastic material that provides both the structural integrity needed for manufacturing precision and the controlled fracture properties needed for easy opening. The material composition is selected to ensure consistent bridge formation and predictable breaking behavior.
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
Ensures effective prevention of unauthorized refilling with a visually distinct indication of opening, maintaining closure sealing and safety without sharp edges or protrusions, offering a balanced protection and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
a metal cover (1) connected to a body (2) made of plastic such as poliethylene or polypropylene
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~3
AI summary
The invention is related to a safety bottle cap, in particular for bottles containing alcoholic beverages. The cap is provided with elements that during first opening are destroyed in a visible manner, thereby preventing a bottle containing certain liquid from being refilled with a substitute amount of other liquid of characteristics and quality possibly differing from the original content. Further, the cap also ensures sufficient sealing and protection against accidental opening. The cap according to the invention comprises a metal cover 1 connected to a plastic body 2 consisting of two parts connected by a plurality of tearable bridges 3, whereby the upper part of the body 2 comprises a sealing element 4 to be introduced into the bottle head opening, a sealing lip 5, a plurality of peripherally located outer ribs 7, and the lower part of the body 2 is in a form of a cut tearable control ring comprising a protecting collar 10 directed at an angle to the inside of the ring, the collar 10 engaging into and snapping at an annular groove respectively formed in the bottle head outer surface. In the safety bottle cap of the invention the upper part of the body 2 is provided with a plurality of inner ribs 6 located peripherally at the inner side of the body 2 contacting the outer peripheral bottle head surface.