Spring Loaded Tether Docking for Container Closures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container closures that remain attached after opening often interfere with the function of the vessel during use, such as obstructing the flow of liquids or requiring costly tooling changes, and contribute to litter and wildlife consumption issues.
Innovation Solution
A closure design featuring a twistable segment of cap material as a tether that allows the cap to remain stably attached to the container after opening, using frangible sections and a resilient tether to maintain multiple docked positions without obstructing use, and can be inverted for out-of-the-way storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the cap remains attached to the container after opening using a tether, then the cap does not become litter and is not consumed by wildlife, but the cap may interfere with the user's mouth and nose or interrupt the flow of dispensing fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The tether is designed with elastic properties allowing it to dynamically adjust its length and configuration. When the container is at rest, the tether allows the cap to dangle freely. When the container is tilted for pouring or drinking, the tether stretches and guides the cap to a docked position that clears the opening, thus adapting to different usage states without interfering with the user or fluid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether extends the cap's possible positions from a single plane to a three-dimensional space around the container opening. By allowing the cap to move in multiple directions and dock at various positions along the tether's length, the system ensures the cap can be positioned out of the way in at least one dimension (clearing the opening) while remaining attached to the container.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid stay is used to hold the cap back away from the bottle mouth opening in a fixed position, then the cap remains stable and does not interfere with use, but the cap may still interfere with the user's mouth and nose as it maintains a fixed position at a higher plane than the bottle opening
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static rigid stay to a dynamic elastic tether that can adjust its configuration based on the container's orientation and usage conditions, allowing the cap to maintain stability while clearing the opening during actual use.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether's effective length and tension parameters change dynamically with container orientation. When the container is upright, the tether allows the cap to hang lower. When tilted for use, the tether stretches and repositions the cap to clear the opening, thus changing the spatial parameters of cap positioning to avoid interference.
3Reliability
If an elongated tether is used to allow the cap to loosely dangle, then the cap can remain attached after opening, but the cap may still get in the way of the user when drinking from the bottle
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic tether provides a dynamic system where the cap's position is not fixed but adapts to the container's orientation. During drinking, as the container tilts, the tether stretches and guides the cap to dock in a position that clears the user's mouth, thus maintaining attachment reliability while eliminating interference during operation.
4Length of moving object
If the neck of the container is increased to accommodate the elongated tether, then the tether can be sufficiently long to allow the cap to remain attached without interfering, but the tooling costs for neck redesign represent a large deterrent
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the container neck's physical dimensions, the solution changes the material parameter of the tether to elastomeric material. This allows the tether to achieve the necessary effective length through elastic extension rather than requiring a proportionally longer rigid structure, thus avoiding the need for costly neck redesign and tooling changes while still providing sufficient clearance during use.
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
The closure allows for unobstructed pouring and drinking without interference, reduces litter and wildlife hazards, and maintains attachment without requiring costly tooling changes, enabling efficient and safe use across various container types.
Implementation Method 1
the resilience of a twistable segment of cap material in the form of a tether affixed to the retaining ring and after opening assume plural stable, spring biased docked positions
Implementation Method 2
said frangible sections severing during rotation of said closure to said open position
Data Source
AI summary
A closure for a container has an integral tether section of the closure skirt attached to a tamper band at frangible sections. In the open position, the tether section has a free length providing for a plurality of resiliently docked closure positions retaining the closure on the container and not interfering with the transfer of contents therefrom.