Container With Tapered Micro-Structured Inner Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers face issues with liquid or gel materials adhering to the inner walls, leading to reduced capacity when attempting to remove them.
Innovation Solution
The container features a depression-protrusion structure that develops a lotus effect on its inner surfaces, ensuring that liquid or gel materials can be easily removed by increasing the width of protruded parts from the bottom to the port, thereby enhancing flow velocity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional smooth inner surface is used in the container, then the container is easy to manufacture, but liquid or gel material adheres to the inner wall making it difficult to remove completely
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies a depression-protrusion structure specifically on the inner surface of the container to create local hydrophobic properties. This structure consists of multiple protrusions with specific dimensions (height: 1-100 μm, diameter: 1-10 μm) arranged in a pattern, which locally modifies the surface properties to repel liquid or gel material while maintaining the overall container structure and manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the surface parameters by introducing a depression-protrusion structure with specific geometric parameters (protrusion height of 1-100 μm, protrusion diameter of 1-10 μm, and specific arrangement patterns). This parameter change transforms the smooth surface into a micro-structured surface that exhibits lotus effect, thereby altering the interaction between the container surface and the liquid or gel material.
2Reliability
If fine protrusions with height of 10 nm to 50 nm are provided on the inner surface as discussed in Patent Literature 1, then anti-dripping property is improved, but study of motion of liquid is insufficient and liquid may not be taken out well
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the protrusion parameters from the conventional 10-50 nm height to 1-100 μm height, and from 10-100 square nm area to 1-10 μm diameter. This significant parameter change creates a different interaction mechanism with liquid or gel material, maintaining anti-dripping properties while enabling better liquid motion and discharge through the modified surface topology.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from nanoscale protrusions (10-50 nm) to microscale protrusions (1-100 μm), representing a dimensional change that affects how liquid or gel material interacts with the surface. This dimensional transition allows for better liquid motion dynamics while maintaining the lotus effect, resolving the contradiction between anti-dripping property and liquid discharge efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If liquid or gel material remains on the inner wall of the container, then the container can hold more liquid, but the amount of liquid that can be taken out is reduced from the actual amount housed
Solution Approach 1:
The depression-protrusion structure creates local hydrophobic zones on the inner surface where liquid or gel material does not adhere. This local quality modification ensures that while the container maintains its total capacity, the liquid does not stick to the walls in these structured regions, thereby minimizing residual liquid and maximizing the extractable amount.
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
This configuration allows for efficient discharge of liquids or gel materials, reducing residual amounts and improving the container's water repellency, making it easier to empty without leaving behind contents.
Implementation Method 1
a depression-protrusion structure configured to develop a lotus effect on at least an inner surface of the barrel part
Data Source
AI summary
When a direction passing through a port part and a bottom part is defined as a height direction, a width in a direction intersecting the height direction of a protruded part of a depression-protrusion structure at a certain position in the height direction is greater than a width in the direction intersecting the height direction of the protruded part of the depression-protrusion structure at a position on a bottom part side relative to the certain position in the height direction, or a width in the direction intersecting the height direction of a depressed part of the depression-protrusion structure at a certain position in the height direction is less than a width in the direction intersecting the height direction of the depressed part of the depression-protrusion structure at a position on the bottom part side relative to the certain position in the height direction.