Large Container Cover Welding to Eliminate Dead Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing large containers for storing drinking water, food, and pharmaceutical products face challenges in maintaining contamination-free storage due to complex and costly conical covers, and flat covers with dead spaces and untreated zones.
Innovation Solution
A large container design featuring a metal disc container cover that spans the upper open end of the container wall in a self-supporting manner, welded to an annular support element in a gas-tight or liquid-tight manner, eliminating dead spaces and untreated zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conical container cover is used, then the container can be closed in an air-tight or gas-tight manner, but the construction becomes complex and material costs increase due to required supporting structures and minimum plate thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a curved, dome-shaped container cover instead of a conical design. This spherical curvature provides structural strength without requiring additional supporting structures, while maintaining air-tight closure capability. The curved geometry naturally distributes stresses and allows for thinner material usage while preserving the sealing function.
2Device complexity
If a flat container cover is used, then the construction is simplified, but dead spaces and untreated zones are created which are unsuitable for contamination-free storage
Solution Approach 1:
The dome-shaped curved cover eliminates flat surfaces that create dead spaces. The continuous curvature ensures no untreated zones or gaps form between the cover and container wall, preventing contamination while maintaining construction simplicity. The curved design naturally conforms to the container opening without requiring complex sealing structures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If metal plates with minimum thickness are used for conical covers, then stability is ensured, but material costs correspondingly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dome-shaped geometry provides inherent structural stability through its curved form, which naturally distributes and redirects forces. This allows the use of thinner metal plates compared to conical designs, as the spherical curvature itself provides the necessary rigidity and load-bearing capacity without requiring increased material thickness.
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 solution enables contamination-free storage of products by eliminating dead spaces and untreated zones, while also reducing material costs and simplifying the construction process.
Implementation Method 1
welded to an annular support element in a gas-tight or liquid-tight manner
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a large container may include a container base and a circumferential container wall. An upper end of the wall is closed by a container cover in the form of a metal disc. An annular, circumferential support element is secured at an upper end region of the wall. The disc spans the upper open end of the container wall. A lower side of the disc is welded to the support element and/or to the upper end region of the container wall by a continuous first welding seam. An upper side and/or an edge of the disc is welded to the support element by a continuous second welding seam. The first and second weld seams have respective first and second roots which merge into one another or at least come together.