Thermoformed Container Transition Area Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermoformed plastic containers for food products face a weakness in the transition area between the upper portion with a uniform cross section and the lower portion with a tapering cross section, requiring an oversized plastic sheet for sufficient strength, leading to unnecessary material usage and increased thickness.
Innovation Solution
The incorporation of wedge-like recesses and vertically oriented reinforcement embossments around the container's sidewall, specifically in the transition area, enhances structural strength and reduces material thickness by distributing loads to a stronger lower section, while the embossments extend under the decoration web to increase resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the plastic sheet is increased to provide sufficient strength in the transition area, then the structural strength is improved, but the quantity of plastic material increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating reinforcement embossments specifically in the transition area between the upper and lower portions of the container. These embossments concentrate material and structural strength only where needed (in the weakest transition zone) rather than uniformly throughout the entire container, thus improving local strength without increasing overall material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by forming reinforcement embossments within the plastic sheet during thermoforming. These embossments create a composite of denser reinforced zones (with higher material concentration and structural integrity) and normal wall zones, allowing the container to achieve higher overall strength without proportionally increasing material quantity.
2Reliability
If the thickness of the plastic sheet is increased to ensure safe nesting and transport, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement embossments create localized zones of enhanced thickness and strength precisely in the transition area, which is identified as the weakest point for nesting and transport operations. This localized reinforcement ensures reliability during handling without requiring the entire container wall to be thicker than necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement embossments are formed during the thermoforming process itself, before the container is put into service. This preliminary structuring of the material during manufacturing ensures that the strength enhancement is built-in from the start, providing immediate reliability for nesting and transport without requiring additional processing or assembly steps.
3Strength
If the plastic sheet thickness is oversized to strengthen the transition area, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to excessive material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The embossment design concentrates material and structural reinforcement only in the transition area where strength is needed, rather than uniformly thickening the entire container. This localized approach minimizes material usage while achieving the required strength enhancement, directly reducing excessive plastic material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the local geometric parameters of the plastic sheet by creating embossed features with specific dimensions, depths, and patterns in the transition area. These parameter changes locally increase material density and structural strength without changing the overall wall thickness parameters of the container, thereby avoiding excessive material usage.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The container has a hollow body (1) with a flat base (11), a sidewall with an upper end delimitating the mouth (12) and extending towards the outside of the container in form of a perimetric flange (13); the hollow body (1) having an upper portion (14) with a constant cross section, bearing an external decoration web (2) and a lower portion (15) with decreasing cross section. The sidewall of the container has wedge like recesses (16) arranged in correspondence with the upper end of the lower portion (15) and distributed around the body of the container; and groups of reinforcement embossments (17) which are hollow and elongated and protrude from the body of the container, being vertically oriented. The reinforcement embossments (17) start from the upper portion (14) of the container and finish in an intermediate area of the lower portion (15).