Cartridge System Compression Ring for Reliable Tubular Bag Piercing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional viscous material cartridges generate significant plastic waste due to adhering residues, and alternative tubular bag systems require special guns or inefficient piercing, making them unsuitable for DIY applications and recycling.

Innovation Solution

A cartridge system comprising a tubular bag within a cylindrical sleeve with a detachable shoulder element and closure, featuring a compression ring and piercing tips, designed for use with standard guns, ensuring reliable and recyclable material dispensing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional thick-walled plastic cartridges are used, then material dispensing reliability is ensured, but plastic waste increases significantly due to adhering residues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial dispensing reliabilityVSAvoidplastic waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge system is divided into separate components: a reusable sleeve and a disposable tubular bag. The sleeve can be detached and reused, while the bag is discarded after single use. This segmentation allows the expensive and environmentally problematic thick-walled plastic cartridge to be replaced by a thin-walled bag system, reducing plastic waste by up to 65% while maintaining dispensing reliability through the engineered piercing and compression mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention implements a system where the tubular bag is discarded after single use (containing any adhering residues), while the sleeve is recovered and reused. The sleeve is designed with detachable connections to the bag and closure element, enabling easy separation and reuse of the sleeve component, thereby reducing overall plastic waste while maintaining reliable material dispensing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Loss of substance

If thin-walled tubular bags are used, then plastic waste is reduced, but reliable piercing and material escape require special full-wall cartridge guns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplastic wasteVSAvoidcartridge gun complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sleeve is designed with external dimensions and internal structures that are compatible with standard cartridge guns. The piercing tips and compression ring within the sleeve enable the tubular bag to be reliably pierced and opened using conventional cartridge gun mechanisms, making the system universal and eliminating the need for special full-wall cartridge guns while reducing plastic waste.

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

3Productivity

If piercing tips are used to open tubular bags, then material dispensing is enabled, but the flexible bag deforms and creates insufficient holes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial dispensing efficiencyVSAvoidpiercing reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The compression ring is positioned to compress the tubular bag against the piercing tips before and during the piercing action. This preliminary compression action tensing the bag material ensures that when the piercing tips contact the bag, they create clean, sufficient holes rather than deforming the flexible material. The compression ring's engagement with the bag wall before piercing guarantees reliable material escape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The compression ring changes the physical state of the tubular bag material by applying compressive force, transforming the flexible bag into a tensed structure. This parameter change (from relaxed to compressed/tensed state) ensures that the piercing tips create clean holes rather than deforming the material, improving both piercing reliability and material dispensing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 system reduces plastic waste by up to 65% and enables reliable, user-friendly operation with standard guns, facilitating recycling of components.

Implementation Method 1

a compression ring (18), which projects concentrically into an interior space of the sleeve (4) defined by the sleeve wall (14), and whose outer diameter is reduced relative to the inner diameter of the sleeve (4) such that an annular gap (19) is formed between the sleeve wall (14) and the compression ring (18), wherein a compression chamber (20) is formed within the compression ring (18), into which the at least one piercing tip (17) projects

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Data Source

PatentEP4241894B1Cartridge system
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 HENKEL KGAA
  • EP4241894B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4241894B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4241894B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a cartridge system (1) comprising a tubular bag (2) containing a viscous material, a cylindrical sleeve (4) with a sleeve wall (14) that completely surrounds the tubular bag (2), wherein the sleeve (4) has a dispensing end (5) and a distal end (6) opposite the dispensing end (5), a closure element (7) which is arranged at the distal end (6) of the sleeve (4) and is detachably connected to the sleeve (4), and a shoulder element (8) which is arranged at the dispensing end (5) of the sleeve (4) and is detachably connected to the sleeve (4), wherein the shoulder element (8) comprises a central flow channel (15) and an outlet opening (16) for dispensing the viscous material from the cartridge system (1) and has at least one piercing tip (17) for piercing the tubular bag (2).The invention is characterized in that the shoulder element (8) has a compression ring (18) which projects concentrically into an interior space of the sleeve (4) bounded by the sleeve wall (14) and whose outer diameter is reduced compared to the inner diameter of the sleeve (4) such that an annular gap (19) is formed between the sleeve wall (14) and the compression ring (18), wherein a compression chamber (20) is formed within the compression ring (18) into which the at least one piercing tip (17) projects.