Aerosol Container Circumferential Cutting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol cans often experience incomplete mixing and/or reaction between substances due to inefficient actuation of the second container's opening device, leading to excess unused substance and increased environmental and disposal costs.
Innovation Solution
A spray can design featuring a cutting tool coupled to a traction means for extensive cutting open of the second container along its circumference, guided by a sliding surface, allowing for complete utilization of the second substance and reliable actuation with structurally simple means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a mandrel with a spike is used to push in and tear open the second container, then the opening device is structurally simple, but the mixing and/or reaction process is incomplete and a large amount of second substance remains unused
Solution Approach 1:
The opening device is divided into multiple functional components: a mandrel with a cutting tool for circumferential cutting, a traction means for actuation, and a guide with a sliding surface for controlled movement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, ensuring complete emptying of the second container while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mandrel with a spike that pushes in and tears open the container is replaced with a cutting tool that circumferentially cuts the container wall. This mechanical substitution changes the opening mechanism from tearing to cutting, enabling complete emptying of the container contents into the first container.
2Loss of substance
If a cutting tool is used to cut open the second container along its circumference, then complete utilization of the second substance is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting tool is integrated with the mandrel, and the traction means is combined with the guide structure. These merging of components reduces the number of separate parts while maintaining the cutting functionality, thus achieving complete container emptying without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide with the sliding surface provides automatic guidance for the cutting tool during the cutting operation. The traction means automatically translates linear movement into the rotational or lateral motion required for circumferential cutting, reducing the need for complex control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the cutting tool is guided by a sliding surface on the bottom of the second container, then reliable actuation is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding surface is provided only on the bottom of the second container where it is most needed for guiding the cutting tool during actuation. This localized approach provides reliable guidance where required while avoiding the need for complex guiding structures throughout the entire container, thus balancing reliability with manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns an aerosol container comprising a first container (1) designed to hold a first substance as well as a second container (2) arranged in said first container (1) and designed to hold a second substance, an opening device (3) of the second container (2) actuatable from outside the first container (1) being associated with the second container such that the first and second substances may be mixed and/or contacted to form a product to be sprayed. The invention aims at designing an improved aerosol container so that it may be produced more advantageously and so that its disposal or its recycling may be facilitated. Therefor, the opening device (3) has at least one cutting implement (4) to cut the second container (20) around its circumference.