Bottle Neck and Thread Thickness Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The injection blow molding process for manufacturing small medical and pharmaceutical bottles is limited by variable thicknesses in the final product, particularly thicker threads that require additional cooling time, leading to inefficiencies in the production cycle.
Innovation Solution
A bottle design with a neck and thread thickness that are substantially the same, facilitated by an injection blow molding core rod assembly with outwardly extending thread forms and an internal groove, allowing for uniform cooling and reduced cycle times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thread thickness is increased to provide sufficient structural strength for cap engagement, then the thread strength is improved, but the cooling time is extended due to the thicker material requiring additional time to cool
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating an internal groove at the base of the threads that redistributes the polymeric material. This groove concentrates the material where it is most needed - at the thread roots for strength - while reducing material thickness in areas that would otherwise require excessive cooling time. The result is uniform thread and neck thickness that maintains structural integrity while enabling faster cooling cycles.
2Strength
If the neck thickness is increased to provide sufficient structural support, then the neck strength is improved, but the overall cooling cycle time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The internal groove creates local variation in material distribution within the neck region. By removing material at the groove location and redistributing it to the thread areas, the design achieves adequate neck strength through strategic material placement rather than uniform thickness increase. This localized approach allows the entire neck-thread assembly to cool uniformly and more quickly.
3Ease of manufacture
If the IBM process is used to manufacture bottles with threads, then the body and neck are integrally formed in a single process, but the variable thicknesses particularly in the threads require additional cooling time
Solution Approach 1:
The core rod with pre-formed internal groove geometry performs preliminary material redistribution during the injection molding stage. By incorporating the groove design into the core rod itself, the material is strategically positioned before the blowing and cooling phases. This preliminary action ensures that when cooling occurs, the material thickness is already optimized for uniform heat dissipation, eliminating the need for extended cooling time to compensate for variable thicknesses.
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
This design enables the bottles to cool and cure at a similar rate throughout, significantly reducing the production cycle time and improving manufacturing efficiency by maintaining uniform thickness across the neck and thread areas.
Implementation Method 1
The IBM process forms the bottles with the body and neck in a single process, such that the body and neck are integrally formed. The IBM process typically involves injection molding a preform onto a core pin
Implementation Method 2
placing a larger mold over the preform, inflating the preform into a desired final shape
Implementation Method 3
cooling the shaped product and removing the product from the core rod. The bottles formed by the IBM process often have variable thicknesses in their final form
Data Source
AI summary
A bottle for containing an item, generally a pharmaceutical product, wherein the bottle includes a body having a bottom wall and sidewalls, a neck extending from a top portion of the sidewalls and a thread defined on the neck. The neck defining a mouth of the bottle, an internal surface and an external surface. A neck thickness is defined between the internal surface and the external surface. The thread defines a thread thickness. The thread thickness is substantially the same as the neck thickness.