Container Seal Assembly for Clean Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers and filling systems are complex and costly, often designed for multiple use and not intended for individual consumer use, lacking in simplicity and cost-effectiveness while maintaining cleanliness and containment.
Innovation Solution
A container with a seal assembly comprising a seal and a seal support member, configured to transition from an intermediate closed configuration to a filled configuration with a sealed aperture, using a combination of mechanical and energy-based sealing methods to ensure cleanliness and containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing containers and filling systems are designed for multiple use and specialist equipment, then containment and cleanliness are maintained, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into separate functional components: a seal member that provides the actual sealing, and a seal support member that provides structural support and positioning. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system by replacing complex multi-functional specialist equipment with simpler, dedicated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal support member is extracted as a separate removable component from the container body, allowing it to be easily removed and replaced. This extraction simplifies the filling process by enabling the seal support member to be taken out before filling and reinstalled afterward, eliminating the need for complex specialist equipment to open and close containers.
2Reliability
If existing containers are designed for multiple use and specialist equipment, then containment is maintained, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal support member is designed as a simple, inexpensive component that can be easily manufactured and replaced. Rather than using expensive, complex specialist equipment for each use, the system employs simple, disposable-like components that maintain containment effectiveness while significantly reducing manufacturing and operational costs for individual consumer use.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal support member can be removed and replaced as needed, allowing the container to be reused multiple times without requiring expensive specialist equipment. The simple design of the seal support member enables it to be easily discarded or replaced at low cost, reducing the overall expense of maintaining containment across multiple uses.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a seal assembly is used to close the container aperture, then cleanliness is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is segmented into two distinct components: the seal member that prevents contamination by forming a seal against the container aperture, and the seal support member that provides structural support. This segmentation reduces the complexity of each individual component while maintaining the overall functionality of preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal support member is extracted as a separate, removable component that can be easily taken out before filling and reinstalled afterward. This extraction simplifies the seal assembly by allowing the seal member to be independently handled and positioned, reducing the complexity of the overall assembly process while maintaining contamination prevention.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the container is sealed in an intermediate configuration, then cleanliness is maintained, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal support member is designed to be easily removed and reinstalled, simplifying the filling operation. Rather than requiring complex equipment to open and close the container, the seal support member can be simply extracted to allow filling and then reinstalled to restore the sealed configuration, maintaining cleanliness while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal support member is designed with movable features that allow it to be dynamically removed and reinstalled as needed. This dynamic design enables the container to transition easily between sealed and open states, improving ease of operation while maintaining the ability to prevent contamination when sealed.
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 simplifies and cost-reduces the filling process while maintaining an acceptable level of containment and cleanliness, enabling the container to be designed for consumer use while preserving the internal cleanliness and preventing product escape during filling.
Implementation Method 1
The seal support member is preferably configured to be movable (e.g. rotatable) into an interference fit with the container body (such as the internal surface/periphery of the aperture) to hold the seal in place in the intermediate configuration
Implementation Method 2
applying energy to create a seal between the seal and the container so that the container adopts the filled configuration
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a container (100) having an aperture (140) and a seal assembly (200), comprising a support member or disc (210) and a seal such as an induction seal (240). The support disc (210) has projections or cam surfaces (230) which engage with projections or cams (160) provided on the internal surface of the neck (120). The container is configured to have an intermediate configuration prior to containing a product, in which the container aperture is temporarily closed by the seal assembly (200). In this configuration, the internal cleanliness of the container is preserved. The seal assembly can be removed to add the product, and afterwards, the seal is made more permanent by applying induction energy to the seal and the container adopts a filled configuration containing the product in which the container aperture is sealed. In this configuration, the container may be sealed by the seal assembly (200) (i.e. the support member (210) and the seal (240) or by the seal (240) alone, the support member having been removed during the sealing process.