Depressurizable Ducts for Flexible Container Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible-walled containers used in material lamination, such as laminated glass production, experience a decrease in tightness due to repeated use of closure devices with interlocking male and female parts, leading to friction-induced leakage over time.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating depressurizable ducts within the sealing means of the closure device, which can be connected to a source of depressurization, ensuring leaktight contact between the profiles even after multiple openings and closings by creating a conduit for gas evacuation, thereby maintaining tightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If interlocking male and female parts are used for closure, then initial tightness is achieved, but tightness deteriorates after repeated use due to friction

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetightnessVSAvoidservice life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing means is designed as a disposable component that is replaced after a certain number of operations. This resolves the contradiction by accepting that the sealing means has limited service life (one parameter) in order to maintain high reliability and tightness (another parameter) during its operational period, after which it is discarded rather than reused with degraded performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary depressurization of the sealing means before closure operations. This preliminary action removes gas pockets that would interfere with the sealing process, ensuring optimal tightness from the first operation and maintaining consistent performance throughout the service life of the sealing means

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If repeated opening and closing operations are performed, then productivity increases, but tightness deteriorates due to friction-induced leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of operationsVSAvoidtightness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing means is designed as a consumable component with predetermined service life. This allows the system to perform multiple operations (high productivity) while maintaining tightness (high reliability) during the operational period, after which the sealing means is replaced rather than continuing with degraded performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

Depressurization of the sealing means is performed before each closure operation or at scheduled intervals. This preliminary action prevents gas pockets from compromising the seal, thereby maintaining tightness even after multiple operations and enabling higher productivity without sacrificing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 depressurization of the ducts ensures effective sealing by eliminating gas pockets and maintaining the desired tightness of the container, preventing leakage even after repeated use.

Implementation Method 1

one or more ducts created in said sealing means are depressurized when the latter is in the working position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDepressurization: Depressurisation

Data Source

PatentEP3057789B1Method for sealed closure of a container that is intended to be depressurised
Publication Date: 2017.07.26 SIMMTECH
  • EP3057789B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3057789B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP3057789B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the sealed closure of a flexible-walled container (1) that is intended to be depressurised, that is made up of two superposed sheets (2, 2a) assembled in a sealed manner and having at least one filling and emptying slot formed between at least two free and substantially parallel edges of these sheets, this container comprising a means (13, 13a) for keeping said sheets pressed together in a sealed manner, which means is arranged on the internal faces thereof, which are parallel to the free edges which determine the filling and emptying slot or slots and in proximity to these edges. According to the invention, one or more ducts created in this sealing means when the latter is in the working position is or are depressurised.