Packaging Cap With Concave Transition For Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing food packaging caps face challenges in providing optimal closing functionality for consumers and reliable cap application in high-speed filling machines, while also requiring reduced material usage to minimize environmental impact and costs.

Innovation Solution

A cap design featuring a concavely shaped transition portion between the inner cylindrical body and the annular sealing protrusion, which allows for efficient alignment and compactness, enabling reliable sealing and reduced material usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If the cap is made compact to reduce material usage, then material consumption decreases, but alignment reliability during high-speed cap application may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial usageVSAvoidcap application reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cap is divided into functionally distinct segments: the inner cylindrical body for alignment, the transition portion for guidance, and the outer body for sealing. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall compactness, resolving the contradiction between reduced material usage and alignment reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner cylindrical body performs preliminary alignment action by guiding the cap onto the neck before the threading engagement occurs. This preliminary alignment ensures reliable positioning even in compact designs, preventing misalignment issues that would compromise cap application reliability during high-speed filling operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If the cap design is simplified to reduce manufacturing complexity, then production cost decreases, but sealing functionality may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoidsealing functionality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple functions are merged into unified structures: the transition portion simultaneously provides structural transition, alignment guidance, and sealing surface formation. The inner cylindrical body integrates alignment and positioning functions. This merging reduces the number of separate components and manufacturing steps while maintaining comprehensive sealing functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The transition portion serves multiple purposes: it provides the concave geometry for alignment, creates the sealing surface, and facilitates the transition from the inner cylindrical body to the outer cap structure. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall design by eliminating the need for separate alignment and sealing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If high-speed cap application is implemented to increase productivity, then filling machine speed increases, but cap alignment precision may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling machine speedVSAvoidcap alignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The inner cylindrical body performs preliminary alignment action at high speed by guiding the cap onto the neck before threading engagement. This preliminary positioning ensures precise alignment is achieved rapidly without requiring slow, precision-controlled threading operations, thereby maintaining alignment precision while enabling high-speed application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cap's inner cylindrical body and transition portion are self-aligning features that automatically guide the cap into correct positioning on the neck during high-speed application. This self-alignment mechanism eliminates the need for complex external alignment systems or slow precision positioning, allowing high-speed operation while maintaining alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250042619A1Cap for sealing a package
Publication Date: 2025.02.06 TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE SA
  • US20250042619A1 patent drawing
  • US20250042619A1 patent drawing
  • US20250042619A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A cap for sealing a package by applying the cap onto a neck of the package, the cap comprising an inner thread arranged on an inner side wall surface of the cap, and an inner cylindrical body extending from an inner top surface of the cap, wherein the inner cylindrical body comprises a peripheral end arranged to guide the inner cylindrical body into the neck, an annular sealing protrusion extending radially outwards from the inner cylindrical body towards the inner side wall surface, and a concavely shaped transition portion located between the annular sealing protrusion and the peripheral end.