Container Assembly With Perforated Bellows For Humidity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers fail to maintain a consistent humidity level, leading to spoilage and loss of freshness, taste, and aroma in herbal and pharmaceutical products over time.
Innovation Solution
A container assembly with a hollow bellows and a stopper/cap system that allows ambient air to enter, triggering a chemical reaction to release moisture, maintaining a constant humidity level and preventing pressure differences and odor development through a perforated bottom wall and central holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container is hermetically sealed to prevent moisture loss, then humidity is maintained, but pressure differences cannot be compensated and mold development may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows bottom wall is provided with small holes (perforations) that allow controlled air and moisture exchange. This porous structure enables the system to maintain humidity while preventing harmful effects like mold development and pressure buildup, resolving the contradiction between sealing and ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows structure acts as an intermediary component between the hermetic seal and the external environment. It provides a controlled interface that allows moisture exchange while preventing direct contact between the product and harmful external factors, thus maintaining humidity without causing mold or pressure issues.
2Reliability
If the container is completely sealed to preserve product properties, then freshness is maintained, but ventilation is prevented leading to odor development
Solution Approach 1:
The perforated bottom wall of the bellows provides controlled ventilation through its porous structure. This allows air circulation that prevents odor development while the overall sealed container design preserves freshness, resolving the contradiction between complete sealing and necessary ventilation.
3Reliability
If a substance is added to release water chemically, then humidity is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows structure is nested within the container closure system, with the substance contained inside the bellows. This nested arrangement integrates the humidity control function into the existing container structure without significantly increasing overall device complexity, while still providing reliable humidity maintenance through chemical water release.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The container arrangement, configured to maintain a predetermined humidity for storing a product in the container, is characterized in that the container arrangement comprises: - a container (1) with a container opening and a closed bottom; - a plug (2) or a cap with a central through hole (3) for attachment to the container opening; - a hollow bellows (4) with a circumferential wall, an upper wall (5) with a central hole (6) and a lower perforated bottom wall (8), wherein the bellows (4) is joined to the plug (2) or cap such that the two holes (3, 6) are aligned, and wherein a substance is arranged in the bellows (4) which, as a result of the inflow of ambient air through the two holes (3, 6), releases water that passes through the perforated bottom wall (8).