Reclosable Beverage Container Sealing Lip Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reclosable beverage containers fail to provide a reliable, medium-tight seal, allowing gas exchange and carbon dioxide loss, which affects the taste and preservation of carbonated beverages, and are often complex and prone to leakage.
Innovation Solution
A device with a single multifunctional wall opening for both foodstuff passage and coupling, featuring a sealing element that engages under bias on the container wall, utilizing resilient lips and a flexible sealing strip to ensure medium-tight sealing, and a threaded connection for secure operation, reducing leakage risks and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a sealing element is used to close the wall opening in reclosable beverage containers, then the container becomes reclosable and content can be consumed in portions, but the sealing is only mediocre and allows gas exchange and carbon dioxide loss
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element comprises a flexible sealing lip made of elastomeric material that can deform to conform to the container wall opening, creating a reliable medium-tight seal while maintaining reclosability through repeated opening and closing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is designed with specific material parameters (elastomeric properties) and geometric parameters (lip configuration) that enable it to maintain sealing force under varying internal pressures, including carbonation pressure, while allowing controlled opening and closing
2Reliability
If multiple wall openings are provided in the top wall for device coupling and foodstuff passage, then the device can be securely coupled to the container, but the device becomes sensitive for leakage and reliability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines the coupling function and foodstuff passage function into a single integrated wall opening structure, eliminating multiple separate openings and thereby reducing leakage pathways while maintaining secure coupling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The single wall opening serves multiple functions: it provides the passage for foodstuff removal, acts as the coupling interface for the operating element, and maintains structural integrity to prevent leakage, thereby reducing the number of components and potential failure points
3Reliability
If a complex device structure is used to achieve reliable sealing of carbonated beverages, then sealing performance improves, but manufacturing costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element uses a flexible lip made of elastomeric material that provides reliable sealing through its inherent flexibility and ability to conform to the opening, eliminating the need for complex mechanical sealing mechanisms while maintaining effective sealing under carbonation pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is designed to automatically engage and disengage with the wall opening through the natural flexibility of the elastomeric lip, without requiring complex actuation mechanisms, thereby simplifying the device structure while maintaining reliable sealing performance
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 provides a reliable, medium-tight seal that prevents gas exchange and carbon dioxide loss, maintaining the beverage's carbonation and taste, while being simpler, less expensive to manufacture, and more reliable than existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing resilient lips and a flexible sealing strip to ensure medium-tight sealing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for sealing foodstuff containers, in particular drink containers, comprising: a sealing element adapted to engage on a wall of a foodstuff container around a wall opening arranged in the wall, and an operating element adapted to co-act with the sealing element for displacing the sealing element between an opened position leaving the wall opening clear and a closed position sealing the wall opening. The invention also relates to a foodstuff container provided with such a device.