Double Bead Plug Seal for Container Closure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container closures face challenges in providing a consistent seal due to small defects on the container neck, with prior designs often having beads that are spaced too closely together, thick plug seals that impede independent movement, and thin walls that are difficult to injection mold consistently, leading to insufficient stiffness and potential deformation.

Innovation Solution

A container closure with a plug seal featuring varying thickness, where the upper portion is thicker near the top ring and tapers to a constant thinner section, allowing the lower bead to flex independently and accommodate neck wall variations, while maintaining contact around the perimeter, and enabling consistent injection molding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the plug seal wall is made thin to allow bead flexibility, then bead independent movement is improved, but manufacturing consistency and structural stiffness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebead flexibilityVSAvoidinjection molding consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The plug seal wall thickness is varied locally rather than being uniform throughout. The wall is thickest at the proximal end for stiffness, tapers to a thinner section for bead flexibility, and maintains a constant thinner cross-section at the distal end. This local variation in wall thickness allows each sealing bead to flex independently while maintaining manufacturing consistency and structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the plug seal wall is made thick to ensure structural stiffness, then manufacturing consistency is improved, but bead independent movement and flexibility deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stiffnessVSAvoidbead independent movement

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If multiple beads are spaced closely together to enhance sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but independent movement of each bead deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidindependent bead movement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The plug seal is segmented into distinct sections with different wall thicknesses. The upper portion has a thicker wall that tapers to a thinner lower portion, creating independent zones for each bead. This segmentation allows the upper and lower beads to move independently while maintaining effective sealing through their respective contact points on the neck wall.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If equal sized beads are used to simplify design, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but contact consistency around the entire periphery deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign simplicityVSAvoidcontact consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The plug seal employs asymmetric bead sizing where the lower bead is deliberately made larger than the upper bead. This asymmetric design compensates for the flexing behavior of the thinner lower wall section, ensuring that both beads maintain consistent contact with the neck wall around its entire periphery despite their different sizes and positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

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 double bead sealing system provides a superior seal by allowing independent movement and flexibility of beads, accommodating neck wall irregularities, and ensuring consistent manufacturing, resulting in enhanced sealing performance and reduced leakage.

Implementation Method 1

The lower bead, disposed distally along the plug seal with respect to the upper bead, is slightly larger than the upper bead. When the plug seal is inserted into the container neck, the lower bead is thus able to flex independently from the upper bead while both beads still maintain contact with the inner neck wall of the container.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The thickness of the plug seal is varied, tapering from a thicker section at the proximal end thereof, where it attaches to the top ring, to a thinner section at a midpoint thereof, where it transitions to a constant thinner cross-section extending to distal end thereof.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStructural rigidity variation:

Data Source

PatentUS7743952B2Double bead sealing system for container closure

Publication Date: 2010.06.29 STULL TECH INC

AI summary

The present invention is a container closure for a bottle or other similar container having a neck. The closure includes a top ring, a downwardly depending skirt, and a hollow generally cylindrical downwardly depending plug seal. The plug seal having a varied thickness with a relatively thick proximal end and tapers to a relatively thinner midpoint. The plug seal further extends at a substantially constant thickness to a distal end. The plug seal includes an upper annular bead and a lower annular bead on the outer surface thereof. The lower bead is slightly larger than the upper bead. The upper bead is located coincident with or near the midpoint of the plug seal and the lower bead is located at or near the distal end of the plug seal.