Why say Coca-Cola is a super invention?

Something that seemed to be as simple as a can lid, was the crystallization of creativity for a long time.

Learn about how to design Coca cans

When the water cans are in a normal state, the cans are called "second-level levers" by physicists, with the force acting only in one direction. Wheelbarrow is a kind of lever. When you lift the handle, most of the gravity will move towards the fulcrum, which in this case is the wheel. So that you can push the car easily.

The normal can lid has a wheelbarrow-like mechanism.

Recently, in a YouTube video, Bill Hammack, an engineer at the University of Illinois, explained that the mechanism of opening cans is like pushing a wheelbarrow, applying a force to push the lid. Canopy separated from cans.
But at a time when you turn on the can, there is another miracle happening: the can of the lid is no longer a "second-level lever" , but is transformed into a "level-one lever" , with the force of transfer. Look over the fulcrum like a seesaw.

But when opening the can, the lid will turn the mechanism into a seesaw.

According to Hammack in the video: " The smart design of the cans is that, the pressure inside the can always pushes the lid up , causing the edge of the lid to weaken, and when the force is applied to the canopy. , cans will be opened according to the seesaw mechanism ". The sound of the "cup" you hear when you open the can is because the pressure inside and outside the can is balanced.

Mechanism of forming pressure balance holes when there is pressure from inside.

Why is this mechanism important? As Hammack explained, if you try to open the can of the can only by pressing the lid down before creating a hole to balance the pressure, the can lid will need to be very big and heavy to resist the pressure coming. from inside the can. This will make the production of water cans much more expensive.

So just knowing, great ideas sometimes don't get complicated at all. And perhaps, the current design is the perfect way to turn on the lid of Coca cans.