Unitary Child-Resistant Container With Resilient Tab
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing child-resistant container designs often require a separate cap and container, which can be misplaced, and struggle to operate effectively in small containers with limited grasping area.
Innovation Solution
A unitary container and lid assembly with a resilient tab mechanism that engages a catch on the container body, allowing the lid to be opened by deflecting the tab, providing a child-resistant feature suitable for small containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate cap and container are used for child safety features, then the child-resistant closure can be evaluated under CR protocol, but the cap can be misplaced when the container is opened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cap and container into a unitary structure where the cap is integrally formed with the container body. This integration ensures that the cap cannot be misplaced when the container is opened, while still maintaining the child-resistant closure functionality through the resilient tab mechanism that engages with the container opening.
2Reliability
If a separate cap and container are used, then child safety features can be implemented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and container are merged into a single unitary structure, reducing the number of separate parts while maintaining the child safety feature through the integrated resilient tab mechanism that provides child-resistant closure functionality.
3Volume of moving object
If small containers are used, then the container size is reduced, but the area for user to grasp the lid and manipulate the CR feature is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient tab mechanism is designed to extend outward from the container opening, utilizing the vertical dimension to provide a grasping surface that is accessible to users. This outward extension compensates for the limited horizontal space available on small containers, allowing adequate finger engagement area while maintaining compact container dimensions.
4Volume of moving object
If the lid is made small for small containers, then the container volume is reduced, but the area for manipulating the CR feature is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The CR feature (resilient tab) is designed to extend outward from the lid in the vertical direction, providing sufficient manipulation area despite the reduced lid size. This dimensional extension allows users to easily grasp and manipulate the child-resistant feature while maintaining the compact volume of the container.
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 unitary design prevents the cap from being misplaced, and the resilient tab mechanism ensures effective child-resistant operation within a minimal area, meeting safety standards for both children and elderly users.
Implementation Method 1
at least one resilient tab having a proximal portion fixed to the lid, a distal portion projecting from the lid, and at least one upward-facing abutment on the distal portion. The upward-facing abutment is normally biased at least partly beneath and into engagement with the downward-facing abutment on the container body when the lid is seated, thus latching the lid closed. The distal portion of the resilient tab is displaceable against its bias to disengage the upward facing abutment from the downward-facing abutment.
Data Source
AI summary
A child-resistant container including a container body, a lid, and at least one resilient tab is provided. The lid is pivotable about an axis through a hinge joining the lid to the container body to open and close the container. The resilient tab has a proximal portion fixed to the lid, a distal portion projecting from the lid, and at least one abutment on the distal portion. The abutment on the distal portion of the tab is normally biased into engagement with an abutment on the container body when the lid is in its closed position. The distal portion of the tab is displaceable against the bias to disengage the abutment of the tab from the abutment of the container. Displacement of the tab releases the lid so that it can be pivoted about the hinge to open the container.