Cotton Wool Pad Dispenser With Elevated Aperture Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging for absorbing materials like cotton wool tampons fails to protect the contents from soil and spray from above and sides, and from contamination by the supporting surface, especially when the aperture is positioned on the end face, leading to potential damage from moisture and impurities.
Innovation Solution
A packaging design with an elevated aperture above the supporting surface, featuring a cylindrical side wall and supporting means that reduce contact with the surface, incorporating ventilation for airflow to prevent mold and bacterial growth, and allowing articles to be withdrawn one by one through a radial or axial direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the aperture is positioned on the end face for article removal, then ease of operation is improved, but protection against soil and moisture contamination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture is moved from the end face to the cylindrical side wall, changing the spatial dimension of access. This allows the packaging to stand on its end face while the aperture remains at side level, protected from below by the supporting surface elevation, while still allowing easy lateral access for article removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical side wall acts as an intermediary structure that elevates the aperture above the supporting surface. By positioning the aperture in the side wall rather than the end face, the packaging body itself serves as the protective barrier between the aperture and contamination sources below.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the packaging contacts the supporting surface directly, then stability is improved, but protection against contamination from below deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging base is segmented into discrete supporting feet rather than a continuous contact surface. These feet are positioned at specific locations around the circumference, allowing the packaging to stand stably while minimizing the contact area with the supporting surface, thus reducing contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical side wall serves multiple functions: it contains the stack of articles, provides structural support, elevates the aperture above the supporting surface, and acts as a barrier against contamination. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between stability and contamination protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the aperture is smaller than the article, then protection against contamination is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture dimensions are optimized to be slightly smaller than the article in one dimension (providing protection) while allowing sufficient clearance in other dimensions (enabling withdrawal). The lateral positioning in the cylindrical wall provides dynamic access from the side rather than from below, facilitating easier removal despite the aperture being smaller than the full article dimensions.
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 packaging effectively protects the contents from dust, soil, and moisture from above and below, while minimizing contact with the supporting surface, thus preventing contamination and ensuring stability and ventilation to prevent biological growth.
Implementation Method 1
Another aim of this invention is to produce a packaging with sufficient ventilation in the vicinity around the outmost article, which is not protected by the end walls, and so to eliminate biological contamination in the form of mould and bacterial cultures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A packaging for a stack of articles of absorbing materials such as cotten wool tampons or similar hygiene articles, and where the packaging protects the mentioned articles against soiling and spray from above, as well as the sides, and also preventing contamination from below. The packaging can stand steady on the supporting surface and a the same time easily permit the articles withdrawal, one by one, from the packaging. The packaging is constructed with supporting devices so that the withdrawal aperture faces downwards and is elevated above the supporting suface.