Container Lid Locking Features for Resealing and Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable containers for perishable goods face challenges such as excessive plastic use, difficulty in resealing, and structural integrity, leading to waste accumulation and safety issues, while current film-based solutions are costly and impractical for large-scale implementation.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a rigid base with a perforated rim structure and a film lid, allowing for easy resealing and stacking, reduces plastic waste by 35-40% through a combination of a film lid and a rigid base, eliminating the need for additional machinery and labels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid lid is used to seal the container, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the container becomes difficult to open and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid lid is segmented into a base lid portion and a separate flapper hinge portion. The flapper can be easily peeled away from the base lid, allowing consumers to access products without removing the entire lid structure. This segmentation maintains the sealing effectiveness of the rigid lid while dramatically improving ease of operation for repeated access.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper hinge portion is designed to be flexible and movable, transitioning from a sealed position to an open position. This dynamic element allows the lid to maintain structural integrity for sealing while providing easy, repeated access to the container contents without compromising the rigid seal.
2Loss of substance
If lidding film is used to seal the container, then plastic waste is reduced, but equipment cost and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes a disposable rigid lid with integrated flapper hinges that can be easily manufactured and applied without expensive heat sealing equipment. This approach replaces complex lidding film machinery with a simpler, cost-effective rigid lid structure that achieves the same waste reduction goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and properties of the lid from flexible film to rigid plastic with integrated hinge mechanisms. This parameter change allows the lid to maintain structural integrity while providing easy-opening functionality, eliminating the need for complex film sealing equipment.
3Strength
If a rigid lid is used, then structural integrity is improved, but the amount of rigid plastic waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is segmented into a rigid base portion that maintains structural integrity and a separate flapper portion that can be easily removed or recycled. This segmentation allows the container to maintain strength while reducing the amount of rigid plastic that needs to be recycled or disposed of.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper hinge portion is designed to be separable from the base lid, allowing consumers to discard or compost the flapper portion while retaining the base lid for potential reuse or proper recycling. This reduces the overall amount of rigid plastic waste generated.
4Ease of operation
If the lid is designed to be easily removed, then ease of operation is improved, but sealing effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is divided into a base portion that provides the seal and a flapper portion that provides easy access. The flapper can be peeled away without compromising the base lid's sealing capability, allowing easy operation while maintaining reliable sealing when the flapper is in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The flapper acts as an intermediary element between the user and the sealed container. It provides easy access to the contents while the base lid maintains the actual seal. This intermediary structure allows easy operation without sacrificing sealing effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A container is disclosed herein. The container includes a base and a lid, with the lid being movable between an open position and a closed position. The lid includes a first resealing feature defined by an inner lip and a second resealing feature defined by an outer lip. The resealing features are configured to connect when the lid is in moved into the closed position and disconnect when the lid is moved into the open position. Thus, the lid is releasably held to the base when the lid is closed. The lid incorporates a film layer for reducing waste and weight. The film layer is situated and sized to define a vent into the interior of the base to allow any products disclosed therein to be vented and non-airtight.