Tamper-Evident Tub Latch With Breakable Tabs for Child Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers and lids are either cumbersome for adults to open or lack sufficient tamper evidence, failing to securely prevent children from accessing the contents while maintaining adult usability.
Innovation Solution
A tamper evident tub design with a lid that engages with a latch assembly, featuring breakable tabs and a deformable lid tab that secures the lid in a closed position, allowing adults to easily open it by removing the tabs and applying inward and upward force on the lid tab.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure latch assembly is used to prevent children from opening the container, then child safety is improved, but the container becomes cumbersome for adults to open
Solution Approach 1:
The latch assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: a latch body with latch arms, a lid tab with engagement features, and breakable seal tabs. This segmentation allows the system to provide robust child-proof security through the latch arms while enabling easy adult operation through the lid tab mechanism that can be actuated by simple upward force after breaking the seal tabs.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable seal tabs are designed to be removed first as a preliminary action before the lid can be opened. This preliminary step provides tamper evidence and child protection, while the subsequent lid tab mechanism is pre-configured to allow easy opening by adults who have the dexterity to perform the initial tab removal.
2Reliability
If the lid is securely latched to prevent accidental opening, then container security is improved, but the lid becomes difficult for adults to open
Solution Approach 1:
The lid tab is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, allowing it to be pushed inward to disengage from the latch arms and then pulled upward to open the lid. This dynamic mechanism transforms the static secure latch into a system that easily transitions to the open state when actuated by the lid tab, providing both security and ease of operation for adults.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid tab serves as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the latch assembly. Instead of requiring direct manipulation of the latch arms, the lid tab mediates the opening process by engaging with and disengaging from the latch arms, making the opening action simpler and more accessible for adults.
3Loss of information
If breakable tabs are added to provide tamper evidence, then integrity indication is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal tabs are designed as disposable, breakable components that provide tamper evidence through their irreversible breaking action. These simple, low-cost tabs are attached to the lid or container and must be broken to access the contents, providing clear integrity indication without adding significant complexity to the overall latch assembly. Once broken, they are discarded, having served their purpose.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary tamper evident tub is disclosed. In various embodiments, the exemplary tub includes one or more breakable tabs in near proximity to a lid latching assembly. The one or more breakable tabs, in particular embodiments, prevent access to one or more lift tabs and latches, while the tamper evident tub lid is in a closed position. In various embodiments, the one or more lift tabs and latches are operable to allow for the lid to be opened from a closed position. In some embodiments, removing the breakable tabs allows access to the one or more lift tabs and latches, and further indicates that the exemplary tub has been tampered with.