Container Locator Aids for Sealing and Opening Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for loosely stored products, such as drugs and test strips, often fail to maintain airtightness and moisture resistance, especially during transportation, which can lead to product deterioration and accidental opening.
Innovation Solution
The container design incorporates protruding elements on the peripheral body wall and outer peripheral cover wall, which act as locator aids to ensure precise positioning of the cover, maintain airtight sealing, and control opening forces, thereby preventing undesired opening during shipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container uses a flexible lip sealing mechanism, then airtightness is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from relying on flexible lip deflection to a geometric interlocking system using protruding elements and recesses. This parameter change transforms the sealing approach from elastic deformation-based to geometry-based, reducing sensitivity to manufacturing variations while maintaining airtightness
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding elements act as intermediary features that mediate between the cover and container body. These elements provide precise positioning and alignment, ensuring the flexible lip engages correctly with the sealing surface, thereby reducing the precision required for the sealing portions themselves
2Ease of operation
If the container is designed for hand operation, then ease of operation is improved, but control over opening force becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding elements perform preliminary positioning and alignment actions before the opening force is applied. By pre-establishing the correct geometric relationship between cover and container body, the system ensures that opening force is distributed predictably, maintaining comfort while improving control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geometric parameters (protruding elements with specific dimensions and positions) that modify the force distribution during opening. This changes the mechanical interaction from uncontrolled hand force to a more predictable force profile, balancing ease of operation with force control
3Adaptability or versatility
If the container undergoes pressure difference during transport, then adaptability is improved, but reliability of sealing decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding elements create a pre-loaded geometric interlocking system that resists the effects of pressure differences before they occur during transport. This preliminary structural configuration counteracts the tendency for the seal to fail under varying pressure conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is segmented into discrete functional elements: protruding elements for positioning, recesses for engagement, and flexible lip for sealing. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function optimally, with the geometric features providing structural stability against pressure changes while the flexible lip maintains sealing integrity
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 improved air tightness and moisture resistance, ensuring the integrity of stored products during transportation and storage, while maintaining a comfortable opening force for users.
Implementation Method 1
The protruding elements act inter alia as a locator aid when closing the cover (20). The protruding element limits a horizontal displacement of the cover, and in particular of the cover skirt, relative to the container body
Implementation Method 2
A flexible lip is often part of such containers, whereby the flexible lip is a projection that projects concentrically from an interior surface of the base of the cover. When the skirt of the cover overlies the container and at least a portion of the rim of the container engages the inner wall of the skirt of the cover, the flexible lip interacts with the rim to sufficiently deflect, so as to form a releasable seal between the cover and the container.
Data Source
AI summary
A container, preferably for loosely stored products, includinga) a container body including a peripheral body wall;b) a cover including an outer peripheral cover wall and a cover skirt;c) a hinge connecting the container body and the cover, andd) at least one protruding element provided on an peripheral body wall of the container and/or on an outer peripheral cover wall.