Closure Ring Ribs Surface Seal Oxygen Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container and closure combinations fail to effectively prevent oxygen contamination, leading to degradation of food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals due to air leaks through gaps, which affects their quality and efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A container and closure combination featuring a neck with angled segments and a closure with flexible and rigid flanges forming a channel, allowing for a surface seal when mated, which prevents oxygen ingress by creating a tight seal between the container's upper portion and the closure's flanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional closure and container combination is used, then the structure is simple, but air leaks through gaps between the container and closure causing oxygen contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into multiple functional segments: a first flange portion with a first seal surface, a second flange portion with a second seal surface, and a bridge portion connecting them. This segmentation allows each portion to engage with corresponding seal surfaces on the container, creating multiple sealing points that prevent air leaks while maintaining a manageable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the closure are designed with different characteristics: the first and second flange portions have different orientations and seal surface configurations adapted to their specific engagement locations on the container. The bridge portion has a configuration adapted to the third seal surface, creating localized sealing solutions for different regions of the container opening.
2Reliability
If the closure structure is made more complex to prevent air leaks, then oxygen contamination is reduced, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure design incorporates specific geometric parameters including the angle of the bridge portion relative to the first flange portion, the orientation of the second flange portion, and the configuration of the seal surfaces. These parameter optimizations enable effective sealing while maintaining manufacturability through standardized forming processes.
3Reliability
If gaps exist between the container and closure, then assembly is easier, but air and oxygen can leak into the container degrading product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is pre-configured with multiple seal surfaces and engagement portions that are designed to automatically align with corresponding features on the container during assembly. This preliminary design ensures that when the closure is attached, the seal surfaces engage properly to prevent air ingress without requiring complex alignment procedures or additional sealing steps.
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 described container and closure combination effectively forms a surface seal, reducing oxygen contamination and maintaining the quality and efficacy of stored products by minimizing air leaks and airborne contaminant ingress.
Implementation Method 1
The inner flange biases the part of the upper portion of neck that is in the channel against the outer flange, specifically against the inner surface of the outer flange
Data Source
AI summary
A closure and container combination where the closure has flanges that define a channel capable of receiving a portion of the neck of a container and forming a surface seal therewith.