Tamper-Resistant Container Locking Pin and Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tamper-resistant containers are inadequate as they can be opened or ruptured by bears and are difficult for users to open, indicating a need for an improved design that balances security and usability.
Innovation Solution
A tamper-resistant container with a lid and locking pin mechanism, where the locking pin has a locked and unlocked position, and a durable, structurally enhanced canister with a locking disc that allows users to open the container while preventing unauthorized access, featuring a durable plastic material and structural ribs for increased strength without excessive weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container uses a simple lid design, then it is easy for users to open, but it can be easily opened by bears and provides insufficient tamper resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into multiple functional components: a locking pin with locked and unlocked positions, a locking disc, and a canister rim with an opening. The locking pin can be positioned to either engage with the canister rim (locked position) or disengage (unlocked position), allowing the container to switch between tamper-resistant mode and user-accessible mode. This segmentation allows the system to provide both strong security and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking pin is designed to be movable between two distinct positions: a locked position where it engages with the canister rim to prevent opening, and an unlocked position where it allows the lid to be removed. The locking disc acts as a dynamic control mechanism that the user can manipulate to transition the locking pin between these states. This dynamic capability enables the container to adapt between providing maximum security and allowing easy access.
2Strength
If the canister uses thick durable material for strength, then it resists bear attacks, but it increases weight and material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The canister incorporates structural ribs that are strategically positioned in specific locations where strength is most needed, particularly in areas susceptible to bear attacks. These ribs provide localized reinforcement to critical zones of the canister without requiring the entire canister wall to be uniformly thick. This approach delivers the necessary crush strength and tamper resistance while minimizing the overall material usage and weight of the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The canister is constructed using a composite structure combining the base canister material with integrated structural ribs. This composite design creates a synergistic effect where the ribs work together with the base material to provide enhanced strength and rigidity. The ribbed structure distributes and disperses applied forces across multiple points, significantly improving the canister's resistance to crushing and tampering while using less material than a uniformly thick-walled design would require.
Data Source
AI summary
A tamper-resistant container defining an opening extending into a canister chamber; a lid sized and configured to engage the canister rim for closure of the opening; a locking pin having a locked position with the locking pin being engaged with the canister for mitigating disengagement of the lid from the canister rim; and a locking actuator attached to the lid, sized and configured to move the locking pin from the unlocked position.