Container Cap With Dihedral Membrane and Flaps for Reagent Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cap systems for containers with reagents face issues such as difficulty in piercing the membrane, tip sticking, and membrane deformation during use, leading to contamination and compromised sealing.

Innovation Solution

A cap design featuring a membrane with inclined faces forming a dihedron and flaps that cover the membrane, allowing the transfer member to guide towards the apex, minimizing contact and deformation, and ensuring clean opening and sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pierceable membrane is used to seal the container opening, then the container can be sealed to prevent contamination and evaporation, but the membrane is difficult to pierce or may cause the tip to twist, bend, or break

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidpiercing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The membrane is divided into two distinct parts: a sealing portion that maintains the seal and a pierceable portion that is specifically designed to be easily pierced by the tip. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its function - the sealing portion provides reliable sealing while the pierceable portion facilitates easy penetration without causing tip deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the membrane have different properties: the sealing portion has high integrity and elasticity for effective sealing, while the pierceable portion has reduced thickness and modified material properties to facilitate easy piercing. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by making the membrane both sealable and pierceable in different locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the tip pierces the membrane to access the reagent, then the reagent can be transferred, but the tip may remain stuck in the membrane due to friction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent transfer efficiencyVSAvoidtip removal ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pierceable portion is extracted as a separate functional element from the main sealing membrane. It is designed with specific geometric features (reduced thickness, inclined surfaces) that minimize friction between the tip and membrane during insertion and removal, allowing the tip to pass through and be easily removed without getting stuck

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The physical parameters of the membrane at the pierceable portion are changed - specifically reduced thickness and modified elastic properties - to create a region that offers minimal resistance to the tip during penetration and removal, thereby eliminating the sticking problem while maintaining sealing integrity elsewhere

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the tip passes through the membrane, then reagent transfer is enabled, but the membrane may deform and fail to close correctly once the tip is removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent transfer capabilityVSAvoidsealing restoration

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the membrane into sealing and pierceable portions, the sealing portion is protected from deformation during tip insertion and removal. The pierceable portion absorbs the mechanical stress and deformation, allowing the sealing portion to maintain its integrity and return to its original closed position after the tip is removed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The membrane exhibits local quality differentiation where the pierceable portion has enhanced flexibility and deformability to accommodate tip passage, while the sealing portion maintains high rigidity and elastic recovery properties to ensure proper closing and sealing restoration after the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If the membrane is made more durable to prevent deformation, then sealing reliability improves, but the membrane becomes more difficult to pierce

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing durabilityVSAvoidpiercing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The membrane is segmented into two functional zones with different mechanical properties: a durable sealing portion with high strength and elasticity for reliable sealing, and a softer pierceable portion with reduced thickness for easy penetration. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different durability requirements to different functional regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2654959B1Cap for sealing a container

Publication Date: 2017.05.31 BIO RAD INNOVATIONS SAS

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AI summary

The present invention relates to a cap comprising a body (32), an opening (34) passing through the cap (30) and adapted in turn to be passed through by at least one product transfer member (20), and a membrane (40) which, at rest, covers the opening (34). The membrane (40) has a main portion that extends through the opening (34) and defines two inclined faces (45A, 45B), each inclined face having a distal edge (46A, 46B). The two inclined faces (45A, 45B) form a dihedron when the membrane (40) is at rest, the distal edges (46A, 46B) of the two inclined faces coming together at the apex (47) of the dihedron. The cap comprises at least two flaps (35A, 35B) that extend through the opening (34), above the membrane (40), the two inclined faces (45A, 45B) of the membrane being respectively covered by two flaps (35A, 35B), each flap having a free edge (36A, 36B) that extends along the distal edge of the corresponding inclined face.