Elastomer Bottom-Dispensing Container With Grooved Rebound Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing durable bottom-dispensing containers face challenges in achieving sufficient elasticity for easy dispensing and rebound, durability against stress-cracking, and ease of cleaning, while minimizing leakage and requiring complex materials like elastomers with high wall thickness that complicate dosing.
Innovation Solution
A resiliently squeezable container with a container wall made partially from elastomer, featuring circumferentially oriented grooves on the interior surface, a base with an orifice, and a one-way vent to facilitate easy dispensing and rebound, while maintaining durability and cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container is made sufficiently flexible to enable easy dispensing, then dispensing ease is improved, but the container cannot rebound back to its original shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional plastics to elastomer, which fundamentally alters the mechanical properties to provide both flexibility for dispensing and elastic recovery for rebound, resolving the contradiction between dispensing ease and shape recovery
Solution Approach 2:
The container uses a composite structure with an elastomer outer layer providing flexibility and rebound, combined with an inner liner material that provides barrier properties, creating a material system that satisfies both dispensing ease and shape recovery requirements
2Shape
If the container wall thickness is increased to provide sufficient elasticity, then rebound capability is improved, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional plastics to elastomer, which provides high elastic recovery with thinner wall sections, enabling both adequate rebound capability and precise dosing control through the valve mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs localized structural features including circumferential grooves at specific positions to enhance rebound in critical areas while maintaining thin overall wall thickness for dosing precision, and a specifically designed valve assembly for precise product control
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials like PET and polyolefin are used, then manufacturing ease is improved, but durability against stress-cracking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system with an elastomer outer layer providing durability and stress resistance, combined with an inner liner material that provides chemical resistance and product compatibility, creating a structure that withstands repeated use without stress-cracking
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional plastics to elastomer, which fundamentally improves durability and stress resistance while maintaining manufacturability through established elastomer processing techniques
4Ease of repair
If the container exterior is made smooth for ease of cleaning, then cleaning ease is improved, but gripability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions: the majority of the container exterior maintains a smooth elastomer surface for easy cleaning, while specific grip zones incorporate textured patterns or circumferential grooves that provide enhanced grip without compromising overall cleanability
Solution Approach 2:
The container surface is segmented into different functional zones with distinct surface properties: smooth areas for cleaning ease and textured/grooved areas for grip enhancement, allowing each zone to optimize its specific function
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 enhances the container's flexibility and rebound, ensuring consistent dosing without leakage, ease of cleaning, and durability, making it suitable for repeated use in domestic applications.
Implementation Method 1
a resiliently squeezable container (10) for housing the liquid composition, the resiliently squeezable container comprising a container wall (11), wherein the container wall (11) is at least partially made from elastomer
Implementation Method 2
the container must be sufficiently stiff that the container can rebound back to its original shape, which typically means having sufficient elastic spring-back to generate enough pressure to force air back through the bottom-dispensing orifice
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The need for a durable bottom dispensing package (1) which is easy to dispense from, while having sufficient elasticity to return back to its original shape after dispensing, while also being easy to clean, and having reduced or no leakage during use, is met by making the container of the bottom dispensing package (1) from an elastomer, and providing the interior surface of the container with at least one circumferentially oriented groove (80).