Child-Resistant Slider With Deflectable Tangs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Recloseable flexible packages pose a risk to young children due to ease of opening, while being accessible to adults and senior citizens, necessitating a child-resistant closure system that maintains adult usability.

Innovation Solution

A child-resistant slider zipper closure system with complementary male and female tracks and a slider featuring tangs that separate the tracks when moved in an opening direction, requiring additional steps to unlock, which are difficult for children to accomplish but easy for adults to operate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a simple recloseable zipper closure is used, then ease of operation is improved, but child safety deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of openingVSAvoidchild safety risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The slider is segmented into a body and separate deflectable tangs that can be independently positioned. The tangs are separable from the main body, allowing them to be deflected to engage or disengage from the zipper tracks, creating distinct operational states that provide child resistance while maintaining adult usability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tangs are made deflectable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically change position. When force is applied, the tangs can deflect to allow slider movement, but normally remain in a position that blocks track separation, providing automatic engagement/disengagement based on applied force

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a child-resistant mechanism with multiple steps is added, then child safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechild safetyVSAvoidclosure system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The child-resistant mechanism is merged with the basic slider structure. The tangs are integrated into the slider body, and the track engagement features are combined with the slider's movement mechanism, creating a unified closure system that provides both child resistance and recloseable functionality without requiring separate components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The tangs automatically engage with the zipper tracks when the slider is moved, and automatically disengage when sufficient force is applied. The mechanism serves itself by using the slider's own movement to activate the child-resistant features, eliminating the need for separate actuating mechanisms or additional user actions beyond sliding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3885280B1A slider for a recloseable package, and a flexible package using such a slider

Publication Date: 2023.11.15 REYNOLDS PRESTO PRODUCTS INC

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AI summary

A slider for a recloseable package has a top member and a pair of spaced apart first and second legs (56, 58) depending from the top member, each of the first leg and second leg having an inwardly facing hook (62, 64) opposite the top member. The slider further has at least a first outwardly facing tab (74) having a fixed end (80) secured to the first leg and a deflectable section (82) extending away from the second leg, and a first separator plow (78) located at the deflectable section of the first tab and facing away from the top member and in a direction toward the hooks.