Extrusion Blow-Molded Bottle Flat Deformable Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plastic containers, especially bottles, deform uncontrollably due to pressure differences and altitude changes, leading to aesthetic issues and challenges in labeling, particularly when partially filled or filled with hot contents, as they cool and undergo volume changes.
Innovation Solution
An extrusion blow-molded plastic container design featuring a flat deformable section extending over a significant axial length with stiffer bordering regions, allowing controlled deformation to equalize pressure differences without altering the overall container shape or process, maintaining an unstructured surface for labeling and minimizing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wall thickness of the plastic container is increased to counteract deformation, then the container's structural integrity is improved, but the material demand and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container body is divided into regions with different wall thicknesses: a first region with greater wall thickness for structural support, and a second region with smaller wall thickness that can deform to equalize pressure differences. This local differentiation allows the container to maintain structural integrity where needed while reducing overall material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The container body is segmented into functionally distinct regions: a stable first region and a deformable second region. This segmentation allows different parts of the container to serve different purposes - the first region provides structural support while the second region absorbs pressure changes through controlled deformation, thereby reducing the need for uniformly thick walls throughout the entire container.
2Reliability
If the wall thickness is increased to prevent deformation, then the container's resistance to pressure differences is improved, but the cost of production increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the container body have different wall thicknesses optimized for their specific functions. The first region has greater wall thickness to resist pressure differences and maintain structural stability, while the second region has smaller wall thickness to allow controlled deformation for pressure equalization. This localized optimization reduces overall material consumption and production costs while maintaining necessary reliability.
3Shape
If the container maintains a rigid structure to preserve appearance, then the aesthetic quality is improved, but the ability to equalize pressure differences is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container body incorporates a deformable second region with smaller wall thickness that can change shape to equalize pressure differences, while the first region maintains a rigid structure for aesthetic appearance. This local differentiation allows the container to adapt to pressure changes without compromising its overall aesthetic quality, as the deformation is confined to a specific region.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable function is extracted and localized to a specific second region of the container body, separate from the first region that maintains the aesthetic appearance. By taking out the deformation capability from the entire container structure and concentrating it in a dedicated region, the container can maintain its overall rigid appearance while still possessing the adaptability to equalize pressure differences.
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 design enables controlled deformation to prevent unesthetic changes in shape, maintains label visibility, and reduces material usage while ensuring the container's structural integrity, particularly at varying altitudes and during temperature changes.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure, which is acting from the outside on the container walls, and the negative pressure which can arise in the interior as a result of cooling
Implementation Method 2
at least one flat deformable section extending over a large part of an axial length of the container body
Implementation Method 3
two longitudinal sides which run essentially in the axial direction and bordering regions of the container body which have a greater stiffness than the deformable section
Implementation Method 4
by cooling the contents, a negative pressure forms in the container because the gases above the level of the contents and the contents themselves change their volume by the temperature difference
Data Source
AI summary
An extrusion blow-molded plastic container, for example, a plastic bottle, is described which has a container body having a longitudinal axis, a longitudinal end sealed by a container bottom, another longitudinal end adjoining a container neck provided with a pour opening, and a container shoulder. The container body has at least one deformable section which is made flat and which extends over a large part of an axial length of the container body and in the peripheral direction. The deformable section which has been made flat has two longitudinal sides which run essentially in the axial direction and which border regions of the container body which have a greater stiffness than the deformable section.