Ergonomic Slider With Hinged Wings And Separator Finger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliders for closure assemblies in storage bags lack ergonomic design and efficient mechanisms for opening and closing interlocking profiles, leading to difficulties in user interaction and seal integrity.
Innovation Solution
A slider design featuring hinged wings with finger pads and surrounding lips, providing an improved ergonomic feel, and a separator finger mechanism for effective engagement and disengagement of interlocking profiles, ensuring a secure and easy-to-use closure system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional slider design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but ease of operation deteriorates due to poor ergonomic features
Solution Approach 1:
The slider incorporates finger pads with specific dimensional ratios (major axis larger than minor axis) at the interaction points where users grip the slider. This local optimization of geometry at critical contact areas improves ergonomics without requiring complete redesign of the entire slider structure, thus enhancing ease of operation while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If separator finger mechanism is added, then reliability of sealing improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slider is divided into functional segments including hinged wings and a separator finger mechanism. The separator finger is a distinct component that can be integrated into the slider body or operated independently. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be enhanced through the separator finger's ability to properly engage and disengage interlocking profiles, while the modular nature limits the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator finger acts as an intermediary element between the slider body and the interlocking profiles. It mediates the separation and engagement of the closure profiles by inserting between them, ensuring proper alignment and secure sealing. This intermediary mechanism improves reliability of the sealing action without requiring complete redesign of the entire closure system.
3Ease of operation
If hinged wings with finger pads are used, then ease of operation improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged wings and finger pads are combined into an integrated slider assembly where the wings are attached to the main body through hinges, and the finger pads are formed as part of the wing structure. This merging of components reduces the total number of separate parts that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby improving ease of manufacture while maintaining the ergonomic benefits of the hinged wing design with optimized finger pad geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
A slider for a closure assembly of a bag. The slider has a pair of finger pads extending from a top wall. Each pad has a surface with a curved portion running from a front end to a back end of the slider, a defined, first curved area extending from the curved portion to an end of the first curved area, and a defined, second curved area extending from the end of the first curved area to a midpoint of the curved portion. The first curved area and the second curved area are defined by different angles at which the respective curved area extends into the respective finger pad. Each finger pad includes a major axis dimension greater than a minor axis dimension to provide an area that fits an average finger size, and a lip region to guide a finger of a user into a finger pad.