Break-open Single-dose Package with Variable Depth Incision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing break-open single-dose sealed packages struggle with controlling the flow of liquid products, as the instantaneous breaking of the semi-rigid plastic material results in unregulated and potentially accidental openings, especially for detergent and cosmetic products, which are often handled with wet hands and require hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A break-open single-dose sealed package design featuring a semi-rigid plastic sheet with a transverse incision of varying depth, allowing progressive breaking proportional to the degree of folding, maintaining elasticity and enabling controlled product release without accidental openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight incision is made in the semi-rigid plastic material, then the package can be opened by breaking, but the product exits very fast without flow regulation
Solution Approach 1:
The incision is divided into multiple segments of varying depths rather than a single straight cut. The first incision has a first depth, the second incision has a second depth greater than the first, creating staged breaking points that allow progressive opening and flow control
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the incision have different depths to create localized breaking characteristics. The varying depth incisions create specific stress concentration points that control where and how the material breaks, enabling regulated product flow while maintaining ease of opening
2Productivity
If the incision depth is increased to control breaking, then product flow can be regulated, but the package becomes more complex to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The varying depth incisions are pre-formed in the semi-rigid plastic material during manufacturing. These pre-formed incisions guide the breaking process in advance, ensuring controlled product flow without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms during use
3Reliability
If the package is made robust to prevent accidental opening, then product containment is improved, but the package becomes harder to open intentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The package structure transitions from a rigid sealed state to a controlled breaking state through applied force. The varying depth incisions create a dynamic opening process where the material progressively breaks at different stress levels, allowing intentional opening while maintaining robust containment during normal handling
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 package allows for intuitive and controlled product dispensing, preventing accidental openings and ensuring hygiene by maintaining elasticity and regulating the flow of products, making it suitable for various product types including liquids and creams.
Implementation Method 1
the sheet of semi-rigid plastic material has at the centre a straight incision that guides a controlled breaking of the sheet of semi-rigid plastic material
Implementation Method 2
formed by a sheet of semi-rigid plastic material and by a sheet of flexible plastic material set on top of one another
Data Source
AI summary
A break-open single-dose sealed package having: a first sheet of semi-rigid plastic material; a second sheet of flexible plastic material set on top of and welded to the first sheet of semi-rigid plastic material to define a sealed pocket that contains a dose of a product; and an incision made in the first sheet of semi-rigid plastic material for guiding controlled breaking of the first sheet along the incision so as to bring about formation, through the first sheet, of an opening for exit of the product; the incision has along its own length a variable depth in order to determine a progressive breaking of the first sheet along the incision.