Elastic Support Member for Container Foil Seal Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing technologies for containers, particularly glass and ceramic containers, face challenges with leakage due to low adhesive properties and crevice corrosion, especially when storing liquids with low viscosity, which can impair the seal and lead to contamination or spillage during transportation and storage.
Innovation Solution
A support member with an injection-molded support structure and elastic members that mechanically hold a foil seal in place, compensating for irregularities in the container surface and maintaining the seal under various conditions, including temperature changes and pressure increases, while allowing for easy access to the contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foil seals are used on glass containers, then gas-tightness and protection against oxygen ingress are improved, but adhesion is worsened due to high activation temperature requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (adhesion promoter or primer) applied to the glass container surface before foil seal application. This intermediary layer reduces the activation temperature requirement and improves adhesion between the foil seal and glass container, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface parameters of the glass container by applying a treatment layer that modifies adhesion properties. This parameter change enables effective bonding at lower temperatures, allowing foil seals to be applied reliably to glass containers without requiring high activation temperatures.
2Reliability
If induction sealing is used on glass containers, then sealing is achieved, but crevice corrosion occurs leading to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of crevice corrosion into a beneficial design feature by incorporating a relief structure that intentionally creates a gap between the foil seal and the container rim. This design prevents liquid accumulation in sealing gaps, thereby eliminating the condition for crevice corrosion while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the problematic sealing gap from the design by introducing a relief structure that removes the rim portion where crevice corrosion occurs. This extraction eliminates the harmful interaction between liquids and the sealing surface, preventing corrosion while preserving the seal.
3Manufacturing precision
If glass containers with tight tolerances are used, then sealing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to challenging closure design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealing function into two independent parts: a simple closure body and a separate relief structure. This segmentation allows the closure to be designed with standard tolerances while the relief structure compensates for dimensional variations, reducing overall device complexity despite maintaining sealing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing a relief structure only at the specific location where crevice corrosion occurs (at the rim interface), while the rest of the closure maintains standard design tolerances. This localized approach simplifies the overall closure design while addressing the specific sealing issue.
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 solution provides a reliable, long-lasting seal that prevents leakage and contamination, even under challenging conditions, and allows for post-processing treatments like pasteurization and sterilization without compromising the seal, while enabling easy access to the contents.
Implementation Method 1
The support member comprises a first elastic member that at least partially covers the first sealing face. The first sealing face is oriented so that the first elastic member is sandwiched and deformed between the first sealing face and the container
Implementation Method 2
during induction, a plastic surface can be heated to an activation temperature and therefore the adhesion of the foil seal is improved
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a support member for supporting a sealing of a container, to a support system for supporting a sealing of a container, to respective containers and to a method for sealing a container. The support member 100 comprises an injection moulded support structure 110, including a first connecting means 112a; 112b adapted for connecting the support member 100 to a corresponding container 200, a first sealing face 114, and an opening 116 for accessing the sealed container 200 when the support member 100 is connected to the container 200. The support member 100 further comprises a first elastic member 120, wherein the first elastic member 120 at least partially covers the first sealing face 114, and wherein the first sealing face 114 is oriented so that the first elastic member 120 is sandwiched and deformed between the first sealing face 114 and the container 200, when the support member 100 is connected to the container 200.