Collapsible Interior Lid for Paint Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Premature drying and deterioration of contents in containers occur due to increased air space after partial content removal, leading to skin formation, loss of carbonation, and oxidation, which existing lid designs fail to effectively prevent.
Innovation Solution
A position-adjustable, internally insertable lid with a sealing edge that minimizes air space by allowing manual placement close to the container contents, utilizing a collapsible design with a squeeze handle for easy insertion and adjustment, and a resilient material for a tight seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the container is opened and some contents are removed, then the container can be reused for storage, but the air space increases causing off-gassing, skin formation, and deterioration of contents
Solution Approach 1:
The container system is segmented into two parts: the original container and an insertable interior lid. This interior lid creates a separate sealed environment within the container, isolating the contents from the headspace air that causes deterioration. The interior lid acts as a secondary containment system that can be inserted into the existing container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The interior lid serves as an intermediary barrier between the container contents and the headspace air. By placing this intermediate sealing structure inside the container, it mediates the harmful interaction between oxygenated air and the contents, preventing direct contact and the subsequent chemical reactions that cause skinning and off-gassing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a lid is placed inside the container to reduce air space, then off-gassing is reduced, but the lid must be insertable through the container opening
Solution Approach 1:
The interior lid incorporates a collapsible structure with a squeeze handle that allows dynamic transformation between expanded and collapsed states. The lid can be collapsed to a compact form for easy insertion through the container opening, then expanded to its functional sealing shape once inside the container. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between insertion ease and sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The interior lid is constructed from flexible, resilient material that can be compressed and manipulated during insertion, then returns to its intended sealing configuration. The flexible nature of the material allows the lid to conform to the container interior and create an effective seal while being easily insertable through the opening.
3Reliability
If the lid is made resilient for a tight seal, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the lid structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lid utilizes a simple yet effective flexible membrane structure made from resilient material. This single-layer flexible design achieves reliable sealing through its inherent elasticity and ability to conform to the container interior, avoiding the need for complex multi-component sealing mechanisms while maintaining high sealing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
What is disclosed is a lid for sealing containers containing paint as well as other types of liquids and solids. The lid is flexible and resilient at portions that provide a seal for the container to preserve the contents by reducing off-gas leakage as well as ingress of oxidizing air in order to prevent drying of the contents or other types of deterioration. A handle is provided at a top surface of the lid and which is proximal to the outer structures of the lid. The handle enables a user to utilize thumb and forefinger to squeeze the handle and thereby laterally collapse the lid thereby reducing its lateral dimensions. The central portion of the lid is vertically raised from radially distal portions of the lid to facilitate collapse of the lid when the handle is squeezed. The lateral dimensional reduction enables the lid to more easily fit within the container and furthermore enables its position to be adjusted within the container and thereby enable it to be moved as close to the contents of the container as desired in order to minimize air pockets in the container space directly above the contents. Release of the grip on the handle allows the lid to revert to its original laterally extended position and thereby come into full sealing contact with the interior walls of the container.