Deformable Discontinuous Skirt Closure for Lightweight Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional closures, such as crown and screw closures, are not optimally suited for modern lightweight plastic or aluminum bottles, as they require significant material for strength and thread formation, which increases weight and can affect the keeping quality of beverages like beer by allowing excessive oxygen contact.
Innovation Solution
A closure with a deformable, discontinuous skirt that changes circumference from open to closed positions, featuring a plurality of arms and fingers that form a continuous ring for secure sealing, allowing for reduced material usage and improved sealing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screw closure is used, then the closure can be securely retained on the bottle, but the bottle requires a tall and heavy thread form which increases material usage and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into a head portion and a skirt portion that can be separately formed and then joined. The skirt is formed discontinuously with gaps between segments, allowing the closure to achieve secure retention without requiring a heavy continuous thread form on the bottle
Solution Approach 2:
The skirt is designed to be deformable between an open position for application and a closed position for sealing. This dynamic capability allows the closure to be applied easily and then securely sealed, providing reliable retention without requiring excessive material strength in the static design
2Reliability
If a screw closure with longer skirt length is used, then the closure provides secure sealing, but the air volume entrapped in the closure increases which deteriorates the keeping quality of beer
Solution Approach 1:
The skirt is formed discontinuously with gaps between segments, which reduces the overall volume of air entrapped in the closure compared to a continuous full-skirt design, while still providing adequate sealing when the segments are deformed to the closed position
Solution Approach 2:
The discontinuous skirt segments are designed to deform and conform to the bottle mouth, creating an effective seal with minimal material and reduced internal air volume, thereby improving keeping quality
3Device complexity
If a crown closure is used, then the closure is simple and effective, but the bottle must be manufactured with dimensions and strength similar to glass bottles which increases material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The closure features a deformable skirt that transitions from an open application position to a closed sealed position. This dynamic design simplifies the overall structure compared to rigid crown closures while maintaining effectiveness, and allows lightweight plastic or aluminum bottles to be used without requiring glass-like thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The discontinuous skirt with segmented structure reduces the material required for the closure itself, allowing lightweight bottles to be used while still providing secure sealing capability
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 closure provides a secure, lightweight sealing solution that minimizes oxygen contact with beverages, reducing material weight and enhancing the keeping quality of contents, while being adaptable to various bottle shapes and sizes.
Implementation Method 1
a discontinuous skirt extending from the body, wherein the skirt is deformable between an open position and a closed position
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
This invention relates to a closure (110) for sealing an opening of a container. In particular, the present invention relates to a closure for sealing a mouth of a container, such as a bottle. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a closure for sealing an opening defined by a mouth of a container, the closure comprising a body (112) adapted to overlie the mouth; and a discontinuous skirt (114) extending from the body, wherein the skirt is deformable between an open position and a closed position. The present invention also provides methods for applying the closure to a container.