Embossed Squeeze Tube Design for Shape Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing squeeze tubes made from plastic materials face challenges in effectively storing and discharging fluid materials due to limitations in design and manufacturing processes, particularly in creating durable and functional embossed features that maintain shape and appearance over time.
Innovation Solution
A squeeze tube design that utilizes a multi-layer laminate sheet of plastics materials, where the sheet is embossed to create a raised or recessed embossment that extends from or into the product-storage region, coupled with a fluid-discharge closure, allowing for selective fluid discharge and maintaining structural integrity with a thickness greater than 0.01 inches but less than 0.05 inches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the plastic sheet is embossed to create raised or recessed embossments, then the container maintains shape and appearance over time, but the embossed portion has reduced thickness making it more susceptible to puncture and fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed portions are strategically positioned away from the tail end closure region, creating local variations in thickness only where needed for shape maintenance while preserving full thickness in critical strength zones. This local differentiation allows the container to maintain aesthetic appearance without compromising structural integrity at vulnerable points.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossing is performed on the plastic sheet before forming and closing the container, establishing the shape-maintaining features in advance. This preliminary embossing ensures that the shape-stabilizing structure is built into the material itself before any filling or closing operations that might compromise the tail end strength.
2Strength
If the plastic sheet thickness is increased to improve strength and puncture resistance, then the container becomes more durable, but the embossed portions become excessively thick and may compromise the aesthetic appearance and flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure implements different effective thicknesses in different regions: the tail end closure area maintains full plastic sheet thickness for strength, while the embossed portions have reduced thickness for aesthetic appearance. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall strength and local aesthetic requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tail end of the package is closed after filling to establish the squeeze tube, then the container is sealed and ready for use, but the closing process may compromise the strength at the tail end where the embossed portions are most vulnerable
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed portions are extracted or excluded from the tail end closure region, separating the aesthetic shape-maintenance function from the critical closure zone. This extraction ensures that the closing process operates on full-thickness material without the vulnerability of reduced-thickness embossed features, maintaining strength while enabling easy manufacturing.
4Reliability
If multiple layers of plastics materials are used to improve durability and barrier properties, then the container becomes more reliable for fluid storage, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a controlled thickness range (0.01-0.05 inches) for the plastic sheet, optimizing the balance between durability and manufacturability. This parameter control allows single-layer or simple multi-layer constructions to achieve sufficient reliability without requiring complex multi-layer laminates, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining fluid storage durability.
Data Source
AI summary
A squeeze tube includes a fluid-discharge container and a fluid-discharge closure mated to the fluid-storage container. The fluid-discharge closure is coupled to one end of the fluid-storage container and configured to discharge selectively fluid stored in a product-storage region formed in the fluid-storage container.