Twist-Lock Pressure Equalising Spike for Jar Lids
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Jars with screw-top lids require excessive torque force to open due to internal pressure differences, posing a challenge for individuals with reduced mobility or dexterity, as the average person cannot generate enough torque to open them safely.
Innovation Solution
A pressure equalizing device with a squat shape and three positions - unlocked and retracted, locked and retracted, and unlocked and extended - that uses a spike to pierce the container, a biasing member to adjust positions, and a twist lock mechanism to reduce the torque required to open the jar by equalizing internal and external pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screw-top lid is used to seal a jar, then the jar can be securely closed and preserved, but excessive torque force is required to open it due to internal pressure differences
Solution Approach 1:
A pressure equalising device acts as an intermediary between the jar interior and exterior environments. The device includes a spike that pierces through the seal between the lid and jar body, creating a communication channel that allows pressure equalisation. This mediator component enables the harmful pressure difference to be eliminated without compromising the overall sealing integrity of the jar closure system.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalising device performs preliminary action by equalising the pressure difference between the jar interior and exterior before the user attempts to open the lid. By pre-establishing pressure equilibrium through the spiked device, the harmful pressure differential is eliminated in advance, making the subsequent opening operation easy and safe for users with reduced mobility.
2Area of stationary object
If the lid diameter is increased to provide better grip, then the sealing surface area increases, but the torque force required to remove the lid increases proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of pressure differential into a beneficial state of pressure equilibrium. By introducing the pressure equalising device with a piercing spike, the originally harmful pressure difference (which makes opening difficult) is transformed into a neutral or beneficial condition where internal and external pressures are balanced, thereby eliminating the opening difficulty while preserving the larger lid's sealing and gripping advantages.
3Ease of operation
If a pressure equalising device with a spike is introduced, then the torque force required to open the jar is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure equalising function is extracted as a separate, dedicated device rather than being integrated into the lid or jar structure. This extracted device consists of simple components: a body, a piercing spike, and a biasing mechanism. By taking out the pressure equalisation function as an independent component, the solution achieves the desired effect without significantly complicating the overall jar closure system.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure equalising device is designed to be self-activating through a biasing mechanism (such as a spring) that automatically drives the spike to pierce the seal when the device is engaged. This self-service characteristic eliminates the need for complex actuation mechanisms or user intervention beyond simple placement, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device significantly reduces the torque force needed to open a jar from an average of 4.494 Nm to 0.839 Nm, making it easier for people with reduced mobility to open, representing an 81% reduction in required force.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member to bias the device into the first position from the third position
Implementation Method 2
a spike for piercing a container to increase its internal pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure equalising device (10) which has a squat shape and which has three positions which are a first unlocked and retracted position, a second locked and retracted position, and a third unlocked and extended position wherein the device comprises a spike (14) for piercing a container, a biasing member (12) to bias the device into the first position from the third position, an upper body (20) which supports the spike and which has a locking formation (28), and a lower body (40); wherein the device has a twist lock such that the device can be rotated to and from its first and second positions; wherein the twist lock comprises a slot (52) in the lower body which is positioned to receive the locking formation (28) to immobilise the upper body (20) in relation to the lower body (40); the invention provides an ergonomically acceptable and safe way to reduce the torque force required to open the typical jar to less that 2 Nm by equalising the pressures inside and outside the jar.