Blow-Molded Container Neck Vent for Breathable Food Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic blow-molded containers for food packaging lack breathability, which is necessary for certain products, and often require additional materials or processes to achieve, leading to increased weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A blow-molded container design featuring a neck with a sealing surface and neck finish that includes a vent, allowing gas passage, manufactured through a process involving blow molding, cutting, and trimming to create a recessed vent configuration, reducing plastic usage while maintaining performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealed container design is used, then the container provides good sealing and protection, but it lacks breathability which is necessary for certain food products
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surface incorporates a vent feature that creates a controlled porous pathway through the otherwise sealed container closure. This vent allows gas molecules to pass through while maintaining the sealing function for liquid and solid food products, thus providing breathability without compromising the protective sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing surface is segmented to include both sealed portions and a vented portion. The vent feature creates discrete openings in the sealing surface, allowing the container to provide both sealing and breathability functions simultaneously through spatial segmentation of the closure structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional materials or processes are added to achieve breathability, then the container gains breathability, but the weight and complexity of the container increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vent feature is integrated directly into the sealing surface as part of the container closure, merging the breathability function with the existing sealing structure. This eliminates the need for separate breathable materials or additional components, thereby achieving gas permeability without increasing container weight.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding complex breathable layers or materials, the invention extracts or removes material to create the vent feature in the sealing surface. This subtractive approach to creating breathability reduces rather than increases the overall material usage and container weight.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional materials or processes are added to achieve breathability, then the container gains breathability, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vent feature is formed as an integrated part of the sealing surface during the container manufacturing process. By merging the breathability function into the existing closure structure, the invention avoids adding separate components or assembly steps, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent feature is formed during the initial container manufacturing process rather than as a subsequent modification. This preliminary action incorporates the breathability function into the base container structure, eliminating the need for additional manufacturing steps or complex assembly operations.
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 provides a breathable container with reduced plastic weight, improved gas permeability, and enhanced physical performance, such as top load resistance and moisture vapor transmission, suitable for both hot and cold fill applications.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing surface defines at least one vent. The lip defines at least one vent aligned with the at least one gap in a configuration for passage of a gas from the volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A blow molded container is provided. The container includes a neck including a sealing surface and a neck finish. The sealing surface defines at least one vent. In some embodiments, methods of manufacturing containers are disclosed.