Tearable Lid Container with Orientation Indicator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers face difficulty in determining if plastic food containers have been tampered with or opened before purchase, as existing designs do not provide a clear indicator of tampering.

Innovation Solution

A container with a tearable lid and base connected via a folding line and a tear line, allowing the lid to be separable while the connecting portion remains intact, providing a visible indicator of tampering and enabling easy opening and closing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the lid and base are separate components allowing free opening and closing, then the container is easy to operate, but it becomes difficult to discern if the container has been opened before purchase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of opening and closingVSAvoidtampering indicator

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into separate lid and base components that can be freely opened and closed, while a connecting portion with tear line provides segmentation that indicates tampering when separated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting portion is designed with a specific visual configuration (orientation, shape, or color) that changes or becomes visible when separated at the tear line, providing a clear indicator of tampering to consumers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Ease of operation

If a tear line is added to allow easy separation of lid from base, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural integrity and reliability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of separationVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tear line is pre-formed in the connecting portion during manufacturing, creating a predetermined weak point that allows easy separation when needed while maintaining overall structural integrity through proper design of the tear line location and characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11780654B2Container with tearable lid

Publication Date: 2023.10.10 PLASTIFAR SA

AI summary

A container may include a base having a bottom and a plurality of side walls extending upward from the bottom to define an interior therebetween, and a lid configured to engage with the base in a closed configuration to enclose the interior. The container may also include a connecting portion by which the base and the lid may be connected in an initial state. The base may have an extension portion extending laterally outward from a lateral side of the base and connected to the connecting portion via a folding line about which the connecting portion and the lid may be rotatable with respect to the base between the closed configuration and an open configuration. The lid may also have an extension portion extending laterally outward from a lateral side of the lid and connected to the connecting portion via a tear line. The tear line may be weakened such that the lid may be separable from the connecting portion and the base at the tear line while the connecting portion may remain intact with the base.