Sealing Cap Groove Structure for Tool-Free Opening Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing caps for liquid containers do not allow easy determination of whether they are in a sealed state, and their detachment requires additional tools, reducing operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A sealing cap design with integral grooves and coupling parts that allow easy release by gripping and rotating, enabling cracks to form in specific grooves upon detachment, indicating an open state and improving workability without additional tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a detachable cap with internal thread is used to seal the container opening, then the cap can be removed and reattached, but it becomes impossible to determine whether the container is sealed or opened
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into a body and an annular part that can be relatively moved. The annular part rotates about the cylindrical part, and when detached, creates visible separation that indicates the sealed state has been broken. This segmentation allows the cap to provide visual information about its state while maintaining reusability through the coupling parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses visual changes (analogous to color changes principle) through the formation of cracks in the grooves and the relative positioning of the annular part and body to indicate the sealed state. When the annular part is detached and rotated, the cracks become visible, providing clear visual information that the container is no longer sealed.
2Loss of information
If a cap structure is designed to crack when opened to prevent reattachment, then the sealed state can be determined, but additional tools like pliers are required reducing workability
Solution Approach 1:
The cap structure performs the cracking function automatically during the opening operation itself. When the annular part is rotated and detached from the cylindrical part, the grooves naturally crack without requiring external tools. The structure serves its own purpose of indicating the opened state through the self-generated cracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are pre-formed in specific positions on the cylindrical part and annular part, preparing the structure for controlled cracking. The coupling parts are designed with grooves that will naturally crack when the annular part is detached, so the cracking action is prepared in advance and occurs automatically during the opening process.
3Reliability
If multiple coupling parts are used to secure the annular part to the cylindrical part, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the complexity of the structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is segmented into multiple discrete coupling parts distributed around the circumference. Each coupling part consists of corresponding grooves on the cylindrical part and annular part. This segmentation provides reliable multi-point attachment while keeping each individual coupling element simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple coupling parts are merged into a single integrated structure where the body and annular part are formed as one piece. The grooves and coupling features are combined in the molding process, reducing the number of separate components while maintaining the multi-point coupling functionality for reliable sealing.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a sealing cap including: a body having a cylindrical part and a sealing part; an annular part having the inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical part; a first coupling part coupling the cylindrical part and the annular part to each other at a first coupling position; and a second coupling part coupling the cylindrical part and the annular part to each other at a second coupling position. A pair of first grooves are formed in the cylindrical part, a pair of second grooves are formed in the sealing part so as to extend in a second direction and interpose an axis, the pair of first grooves are connected to the pair of second grooves, the first coupling position is a position interposed between the pair of first grooves, and the second coupling position is another position not interposed between the pair of first grooves.