Injection-Molded Composite Food Container for Stiff Leakproof Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for containers that are lightweight, stiff, leakproof, and cost-effective, especially for carrying hot food, while also being suitable for microwave use.
Innovation Solution
A composite container design featuring panels made from paperboard with a polymeric frame injection-molded around them, where the frame is molded onto the panels to provide structural support and sealing, and optionally includes microwave energy interactive material for enhanced cooking performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the container is made from paperboard panels, then the container is lightweight and cost-effective, but the container lacks sufficient stiffness and leakproofness
Solution Approach 1:
The container combines paperboard panels with a polymeric frame to create a composite structure. The paperboard provides lightweight and cost-effective properties, while the polymeric frame injection-molded around the panels provides structural support, stiffness, and leakproof sealing at the corners and edges.
2Weight of moving object
If the container is made from paperboard panels, then the container is lightweight and cost-effective, but the container is not leakproof
Solution Approach 1:
The container combines paperboard panels with a polymeric frame to create a composite structure. The paperboard provides lightweight and cost-effective properties, while the polymeric frame injection-molded around the panels provides structural support, stiffness, and leakproof sealing at the corners and edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymeric frame is strategically positioned at the corners and edges of the container where sealing is most critical. This localized application of the polymeric material provides leakproofness at the most vulnerable points without requiring the entire container to be made from non-porous material.
3Strength
If a polymeric frame is injection-molded around the panels, then the container gains stiffness and leakproofness, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges multiple operations into a single injection-molding step. The polymeric frame is injection-molded around the pre-formed paperboard panels in one continuous process, simultaneously creating the frame structure and sealing it to the panels, thereby reducing the number of separate manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The paperboard panels are pre-formed into their final configuration before the injection-molding process. This preliminary formation of the panel structure allows the subsequent injection-molding of the polymeric frame to proceed more efficiently, as the panels are already in their erect configuration and ready to receive the frame.
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 container achieves a balance of being lightweight, stiff, leakproof, and cost-effective, while also allowing for efficient microwave cooking and heating due to the integration of microwave energy interactive material.
Implementation Method 1
The frame can be injection molded at least partially onto and/or around the group of panels
Implementation Method 2
The polymer film and a polymer from which the frame is constructed can be selected so that they firmly adhere to one another
Implementation Method 3
microwave energy interactive material can be positioned between the paperboard and the polymer film carried by the paperboard
Data Source
AI summary
A frame is injection molded onto a group of panels to form a container. The panels extend at least partially around, and at least partially define, a cavity of the container.