Biodegradable Pressurized Container Laser Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastic containers with pressurized chambers, especially those with metal lids, generate non-biodegradable waste and often lose pressure over time due to mechanical or chemically adhesive seals.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable plastic container design featuring a hollow interior chamber sealed by a welded plastic enclosure portion, using laser plastic welding or other processes to create a strong and durable, airtight joint, where both the body and enclosure are made of biodegradable materials, maintaining pressure above atmospheric levels for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mechanical or chemically adhesive seals are used in plastic containers with pressurized chambers, then the container can be manufactured with simple sealing mechanisms, but the container loses pressure over time and the seals are not hermetic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical sealing systems (screws, clips, gaskets) and chemical adhesive seals with laser welding technology. The laser welding process creates hermetic seals by melting and fusing the plastic materials at the joint between the enclosure portion and body portion, eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners or adhesives. This substitution achieves superior pressure retention while actually simplifying the sealing mechanism structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing method from low-energy mechanical or chemical bonding to high-energy laser welding. By controlling laser parameters (power, speed, wavelength) and material properties (absorptive vs. transmissive plastics), the process creates strong hermetic seals that maintain pressure. The parameter change from ambient temperature sealing to elevated temperature laser welding fundamentally improves seal integrity.
2Reliability
If metal lids are used on plastic containers, then the container provides durable sealing, but non-biodegradable waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by making both the body portion and enclosure portion of the container from plastic materials that can be the same or compatible types. This allows the entire container to be manufactured as a single-material construction, enabling complete recycling or biodegradation. The laser welding process specifically benefits from using identical or compatible plastics, creating uniform joints throughout the container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material strategies by combining plastic materials with specific laser interaction properties. It uses either absorptive plastics (that directly absorb laser energy) or transmissive plastics (that allow laser energy to pass through to a reflective surface or adjacent material). This composite approach enables effective laser welding while maintaining the advantage of using entirely plastic, potentially biodegradable, materials instead of metal-plastic combinations.
3Reliability
If laser plastic welding is used to seal the container, then hermetic sealing is achieved with strong and durable joints, but the manufacturing process requires precise control of laser parameters and material properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selecting different plastic materials for different functional requirements. The enclosure portion and body portion are made from plastics with specific local properties (absorptive or transmissive to laser energy) tailored to their sealing function. This localized material differentiation enables effective laser welding at the joint while maintaining overall container performance, reducing the need for extreme precision control across the entire manufacturing process.
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 solution results in a fully biodegradable container that maintains internal pressure effectively, reducing waste and environmental impact while ensuring long-term pressure retention.
Implementation Method 1
welded to the body portion according to a laser plastic welding process
Implementation Method 2
laser plastic welding process... hermetically sealed by the enclosure portion(s) being welded to the body portion
Implementation Method 3
the second plastic material may be absorptive of laser energy
Data Source
AI summary
A sealed plastic container having an airtight chamber. The container includes an elongated body portion having at least one opening and at least one enclosure portion welded to the opening of the body portion, thereby hermetically sealing the chamber. The chamber may have a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The enclosure portion and the body portion may be biodegradable.