Tamper-Evident Cap with Separating Element and Cutting Spout

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current tamper evidence solutions for packaging liquid food do not provide sufficient assurance of food safety, as they may not reliably indicate if the package has been opened, leading to potential contamination.

Innovation Solution

A cap with a tamper element that separates from the cap before the membrane of the spout is cut off, ensuring that the tamper element is broken before the membrane is fully detached, combined with a spout made of HDPE for improved food safety and a packaging method that includes molding the spout and cap in one piece to prevent unwanted objects from entering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a tamper ring is attached to the cap and a tamper flange is provided on the spout, then the tamper ring can be pulled over the tamper flange when caps are applied, but the reliability of tamper evidence is insufficient because the tamper ring may remain attached to the cap after unscrewing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetamper evidence reliabilityVSAvoidcap and spout structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cap is divided into two separate parts: a reusable cap body and a disposable tamper element. The tamper element is attached to the cap body through a weakening line that allows clean separation. This segmentation ensures that the tamper element cannot follow the cap body when unscrewed, providing reliable tamper evidence while keeping the cap body reusable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tamper element is extracted as a separate removable component from the cap assembly. It is attached to the cap body only temporarily through the weakening line, allowing it to be taken out (separated) when the cap is opened. This extraction ensures that the tamper element remains on the spout while the cap body can be removed and reused.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the membrane is separated from the neck when the cap is unscrewed, then food safety is improved, but the tamper element may be separated after the membrane is already detached, reducing the reliability of tamper evidence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood safety assuranceVSAvoidcap unscrewing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The weakening line in the tamper element is designed to break before the membrane separates from the neck during the unscrewing process. This preliminary action ensures that the tamper element is separated from the cap body while the membrane remains attached to the neck, providing reliable tamper evidence that the package has not been compromised.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The design anticipates the sequence of events during cap removal by pre-positioning the weakening line at a specific location. This beforehand cushioning ensures that even if the cap is forcibly removed, the tamper element will separate first, preventing it from following the cap and providing clear tamper evidence before any potential contamination can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Ease of manufacture

If the package is held bottom down during filling, then filling is easier, but insufficient closure between the membrane and spout cannot be detected, compromising food safety

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage filling easeVSAvoidspout closure reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of holding the package bottom down during filling, the invention inverts the approach by holding the package top down (upside down) during the filling process. This inversion allows gravity to assist in detecting insufficient closure between the membrane and spout, as any gaps would allow product to leak or air to enter, making the closure issue detectable before sealing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Adaptability or versatility

If different caps are applied onto the same spout, then product differentiation is improved, but machine settings must be changed, reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct differentiation capabilityVSAvoidcap application speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The spout is designed with universal threading and dimensions that can accommodate multiple cap styles and sizes. The standardized spout interface allows different cap designs to be applied to the same spout without requiring changes to the spout itself or the filling machinery, maintaining productivity while enabling product differentiation through cap design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10232977B2Cap with a tamper evidence and a spout

Publication Date: 2019.03.19 TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE SA

AI summary

A cap arranged to interact with a spout. The cap includes a top section, a side wall section attached to the top section and a tamper element attached to the side wall section in a tearing interface. The tearing interface may be provided with a weakening line that is arranged to break when the cap is unscrewed such that the tamper element is separated from the side wall section. The cap further includes at least one resilient cutting element arranged to the side wall. The at least one resilient cutting element is arranged to cut off a membrane of the spout when the cap is unscrewed. The cap is arranged such that the weakening line is arranged to break before the membrane of the spout is cut off when the cap is being unscrewed from the spout.