Post by masked on Aug 25, 2020 9:00:43 GMT
You've probably never given it much thought or if you have, you've probably brushed it off as some random design feature that regulates air pressure or stops ink from drying out. And, yes, having a hole does allow you to close the lid properly without the air pressure issue. But it also serves another simple yet ingenious purpose - reducing the risk of choking deaths.
Turns out that lids can accidentally be swallowed and lodged in the wind pipe, with potentially fatal consequences.
By simply adding a larger hole to the top of the lid, pen company BIC increased air flow and the chance that people would still be able to breathe even if that happens - a design feature that, quite literally, saves lives.
"In addition to help prevent the pen from leaking, all our BIC caps comply with international safety standards that attempt to minimise the risk of children accidentally inhaling pen caps," the company writes on its website. "Some of these vented caps, like that used for the BIC Cristal, has a little hole in the top to comply with the existing safety standards."
Turns out that lids can accidentally be swallowed and lodged in the wind pipe, with potentially fatal consequences.
By simply adding a larger hole to the top of the lid, pen company BIC increased air flow and the chance that people would still be able to breathe even if that happens - a design feature that, quite literally, saves lives.
"In addition to help prevent the pen from leaking, all our BIC caps comply with international safety standards that attempt to minimise the risk of children accidentally inhaling pen caps," the company writes on its website. "Some of these vented caps, like that used for the BIC Cristal, has a little hole in the top to comply with the existing safety standards."
