Single-Piece Elastic Cap for Hermetic Sealing of Pressurized Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current caps for pressurized and gasified containers, particularly those used in the fermentation of sparkling beverages, face challenges such as high weight, increased production costs, plastic debris generation, and dimensional changes during handling and transportation, which hinder hermetic sealing and industrial scalability due to their multi-piece design and larger diameter.
Innovation Solution
A single-piece cap with an elastically deformable material, featuring a cylindrical protrusion and a concave curved surface that expands under pressure, ensuring a tighter seal by increasing the pressure against the container mouth, eliminating the need for external rings and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-piece caps with external rings are used for hermetic sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (cap body, sealing ring, and retention elements) into a single integrated piece. The cap is formed as one monolithic structure with the protrusion and tightening wall integrated, eliminating the need for assembly of multiple parts while maintaining hermetic sealing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is functionally segmented into distinct zones: a protrusion for insertion into the container mouth, a tightening wall for engagement with the lip, and a head for external handling. This functional segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific role while being manufactured as a single piece.
2Reliability
If multi-piece caps with external rings are used, then sealing reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining all sealing and retention functions into a single cap structure, the patent eliminates the weight of separate external rings and multiple components. The single-piece design reduces total material usage while maintaining the hermetic sealing capability through the integrated protrusion and tightening wall.
3Reliability
If caps with external rings are used, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but plastic debris is generated during ring detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the retention function directly into the cap body through the tightening wall that fits over the container lip. This eliminates separate external rings that would need to be detached, thereby preventing plastic debris generation during the opening process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed as a disposable single-use component that is discarded after opening. The integrated design ensures no debris is generated during disposal, as the entire cap is removed as one piece without detaching any rings or components.
4Reliability
If caps with larger diameter are used, then hermetic sealing is improved, but ease of operation and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cap features a localized enlargement at the head portion for easy gripping and handling, while the protrusion and tightening wall sections maintain compact dimensions. This allows the cap to provide adequate sealing coverage without being uniformly large, improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap uses a vertical protrusion that extends into the container mouth and a cantilevered tightening wall that engages the lip, rather than relying solely on horizontal diameter for sealing. This dimensional approach allows effective sealing with a more compact overall profile.
5Ease of manufacture
If conventional caps are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but productivity decreases due to manual assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is manufactured as a single molded piece, eliminating the need for assembly operations. This single-shot injection molding process can produce caps at high speeds suitable for automated production lines, improving productivity compared to multi-piece designs requiring assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap utilizes the elastic properties of the material to enable automatic sealing through the protrusion's expansion under pressure and the tightening wall's elastic deformation during installation. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical assembly steps while maintaining reliable sealing.
6Ease of manufacture
If caps without pressure-compensating features are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but reliability decreases under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The cap incorporates dynamic features that respond to internal pressure: the concave curved surface on the protrusion expands outward under pressure, increasing the sealing force, and the tightening wall elastically deforms to maintain engagement with the lip. These dynamic responses automatically compensate for pressure effects without complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap utilizes changes in material deformation parameters under pressure. The elastic material undergoes controlled deformation where the protrusion expands radially and the tightening wall flexes, transforming the pressure load into increased sealing force rather than compromising the seal.
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 cap provides a more economical, efficient, and scalable solution for hermetic sealing under high pressures, reducing the force required for installation, minimizing noise, and preventing accidental opening, while simplifying manufacturing and handling processes.
Implementation Method 1
the cap head of the cap comprises a concave curved surface at the top base of the protrusion, and in that said concave curved surface, when the gas exerts pressure out of the cap, the curvature is reduced, thus increasing the volume of the protrusion and expanding its top base
Implementation Method 2
the cap is made of an elastically deformable material; and the head, the protrusion and the tightening wall are formed in one piece
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9
AI summary
A cap (1) for hermetically closing containers containing pressurized and/or gasified products. Said containers (29) comprise a mouth (30) having an annular inlet; the cap (1) comprises: - a head (4) of the cap (1), - a protrusion (3) having a cylindrical shape, that defines an top base (20) that is attached to the head (4), and a free lower base (21); said protrusion (3) being projected perpendicularly to the horizontal plane of the head (4), and comprising a blind cylindric drain (7), wherein said protrusion (3) is configured to be inserted into the annular inlet of the mouth (30) of the container (29) and to fit, by tightening, with an inner cylindrical surface (31) of said mouth (29) of the container; - a tightening wall (2), connected to the head (4) and arranged in cantilever with respect to the head (4) that surrounds, at least partially, the container lip (32); said tightening wall (2) having a larger diameter than said protrusion (3); and wherein the tightening wall (2) adapts to the container lip (32); - the cap (1) is made of an elastically deformable material; and - the head (4), the protrusion (3) and the tightening wall (2) are formed in one piece.