Tethered Plastic Stopper With Offset Wall Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tethered closures for containers often fail to remain attached to the bottle neck after opening, leading to environmental issues due to improper disposal, as consumers may not reattach the roof to the bottle neck.
Innovation Solution
A tethered plastic stopper design featuring a hinge that connects the tamper band to the closure shell, allowing the closure shell to remain attached to the bottle neck even when opened, with a weakness line along the periphery except at the hinge, and an offset wall for easy manipulation and tamper evidence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the roof is made removable and linked to the tamper shell via bridges, then the stopper can be opened and reclosed, but the roof may be separated and lost during opening, creating environmental littering issues
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge merges the roof and tamper band into a single connected assembly, ensuring that when the roof is opened, it remains attached to the tamper band which stays on the bottle neck. This eliminates the risk of the roof being lost as litter while maintaining full openability of the container.
2Reliability
If the closure shell periphery extends completely around the bottle neck, then the stopper provides complete sealing, but the closure shell cannot be opened for access
Solution Approach 1:
The closure shell periphery is segmented into a first arcuate portion that extends around the bottle neck and a second arcuate portion that is separable from the first portion. This segmentation allows the closure shell to be opened for access while the first portion maintains sealing contact with the bottle neck.
3Strength
If the hinge connects the tamper band and closure shell rigidly, then the structure is strong, but the closure shell cannot be opened
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is designed as a flexible connection rather than a rigid one, allowing relative movement between the tamper band and closure shell. This dynamic hinge enables the closure shell to be opened while maintaining structural integrity when closed, accommodating both strength and operability requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to tethered plastic stopper having a tamper band having an offset wall, a closure shell having a peripheral wall, and a hinge connected to the closure shell and a bottom edge attached to the tamper band. The closure shell is also separably connected to the tamper band through a weakness line. The peripheral wall extends around a portion perimeter of the stopper forming a first end at one edge of the peripheral wall and a second end edge at the other edge of the peripheral wall. The offset wall extends between the first and second ends of the peripheral wall at the opposite of the hinge.