Tamper-Evident Closure with Axially Moving Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tamper-evident seals on food liquid containers are often difficult to discern as broken, leading to potential misuse due to lack of visibility in the seal's condition.
Innovation Solution
A closure system with a tamper-evident band that features a movable tamper-evident ring which, upon unscrewing, translates axially and pops out of a fixed band, becoming visibly distinct due to its contrasting color and design, indicating the seal's breach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tamper-evident seal with weakened portions is used, then the seal can break to indicate opening, but the breakage is not easily visible and requires thorough inspection to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a color contrast principle where the tamper-evident band is provided in a first color and the weakened portion is provided in a second color different from the first color. This color differentiation makes the weakened portion visually distinct and easily detectable against the background of the intact band, solving the visibility problem while maintaining the tamper evidence function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a specific visual characteristic (different color) at the weakened portion location that differs from the surrounding intact band. This localized color differentiation allows users to easily identify the precise location of the weakened portion and its breakage state without needing to inspect the entire seal thoroughly.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the weakened portion is made visually distinct with contrasting color, then visibility of breakage is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tamper-evident band into two distinct portions: an intact portion and a weakened portion. Each portion can be manufactured separately with different colors, and then assembled together. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of each component while achieving the overall visual contrast effect, rather than requiring complex post-manufacturing processes to create the color differentiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A closure (8) with tamper-evident band (40) includes a fixed band (42, 142) and a movable body (50). The fixed band (42, 142), with tamper-evident band inviolate, is joined to the movable body (50) by a weakened portion (52, 152) The tamper-evident band (40) also includes a tamper-evident ring (70, 170) housed, with the tamper-evident band inviolate, in an inner compartment of the closure (8) to be hidden from view. The weakened portion (52, 152) tears due to the unscrewing of the closure (8) and the tamper-evident ring (70,170) pops out of the inner compartment and is arranged, with the seal violated, so as to separate a fixed edge (49, 149) of the fixed band (42, 142) from a movable edge (51, 151) of the movable body (50).