Dual Chamber Bottle with Single Neck Finish and Trimmed Seal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container designs fail to effectively separate and seal multiple chambers within a single neck finish, allowing contents to flow between chambers when a cap is engaged, which is a challenge for storing liquids, granular materials, or mixed substances.

Innovation Solution

A multiple-chamber container design featuring a first and second tapered neck portion, a hollow cylindrical collar, and a transition portion, where the transition portion provides a content-tight junction between the neck portions and the collar, ensuring that any content must pass through the collar, and the container is formed using extrusion blow molding with multiple layers of thermoplastic materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single neck finish is used for a multi-chamber container, then the container structure is simplified and manufacturing is easier, but effective separation and sealing of multiple chambers becomes difficult allowing content flow between chambers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer structureVSAvoidchamber separation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into multiple chambers (first chamber, second chamber) that are separated by a partition wall extending from the bottom to the neck region. This segmentation allows independent containment of different substances while maintaining a unified single neck finish structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cap with multiple sealing surfaces is introduced as an intermediary element that engages with the single neck finish. The cap provides separate sealing surfaces (first sealing surface, second sealing surface) that contact the respective chambers, enabling effective sealing and separation of multiple chambers through a single neck opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple caps are used to seal each chamber separately, then chamber separation is effective, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechamber separationVSAvoidsealing operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple sealing functions are merged into a single cap structure. The cap integrates multiple sealing surfaces and engagement features that simultaneously seal multiple chambers through a single opening, combining the functionality of multiple separate caps into one unified component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single cap is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple sealing operations. It can seal both the first chamber and second chamber simultaneously, and the single neck finish serves as a universal interface for the cap while accommodating multiple chamber separations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If existing container designs are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but content leakage between chambers occurs when cap is engaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer formationVSAvoidcontent containment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The partition wall is pre-formed during the extrusion blow molding process, creating the chamber separation structure before the cap is applied. The neck region is also pre-configured with appropriate geometry and surfaces to receive the multi-surface cap, ensuring proper alignment and sealing capability before final assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The container utilizes multi-layer thermoplastic materials in the extrusion process, combining materials with different properties to achieve both structural integrity for chamber separation and appropriate sealing characteristics for content containment, while maintaining ease of manufacturing through a single extrusion process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 design effectively prevents content from flowing between chambers when a cap is engaged, allowing for the storage of different substances in each chamber without leakage, enhancing the container's sealing efficiency and usability.

Implementation Method 1

The outside shape of the container differing from the interior shape of the mold by an amount defined by the effects of thermal deformation occurring during the forming process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS10926912B2Method for making a dual chamber bottle

Publication Date: 2021.02.23 SILGAN PLASTICS CORP

AI summary

A multiple-chamber container that is extrusion blow molded with a single neck finish and a method to trim the single neck finish is provided. The physical appearance of the multiple-chamber container before the trimming process differs from the multiple-chamber container after the trimming process. The multiple-chamber container includes multiple openings that are configured to engage with a single cap after the trimming process to create a seal. The multiple-chamber container may contain different materials, such as liquids, gel-like substances, granular materials, food, etc. that are not permitted to flow from one chamber to the other chamber when the cap is engaged with the chamber openings.