Hermetically Sealed Flat Container with Tapered Bearing Edge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stand-up or pillow up containers require complex sterilization processes and have fragile folds that can collapse under non-vertical loads, leading to incomplete sanitization and mechanical weakness.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, hermetically sealed container formed by two sheet elements and a reinforcing strip, allowing smooth transition between flat and upright positions without folds, facilitating easier sanitization and improved strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If folds are used in the bearing wall to enable upright position, then the container can stand vertically, but the folds create mechanical fragility and collapse under non-vertical loads
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing wall is divided into multiple rigid panels connected by hinges, allowing the structure to segment and reconfigure between flat and upright positions while maintaining strength in each segment
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing wall transitions from a static folded structure to a dynamic articulated structure that can adapt its configuration, using hinges to enable controlled movement between positions without permanent deformation
2Reliability
If complex sterilization equipment is used to sanitize folds, then sanitization coverage is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with a flat configuration before sterilization, allowing sanitization to be performed in advance on a simple planar surface without folds, eliminating the need for complex fold-spreading equipment during the sterilization process
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to sanitize folds in their enclosed position, the design inverts the approach by maintaining the bearing wall in a flat, accessible state during sterilization, then configuring the folds into the upright position after sanitization is complete
3Strength
If multiple sheet elements are used to form the container, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing wall and side walls are merged into a single integrated sheet element, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing the number of welding operations required, while the articulated hinge structure provides the necessary structural strength
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a hermetically sealed flat container (1) for containing loose materials in liquid, pasty, granular or powder form, which is adapted to also assume a stable upright vertical position, while containing said materials, when one edge thereof rests on a base. The container (1) comprises a first flexible sheet element (2) having a polygonal shape which is placed on top of a second flexible sheet element (3) having a polygonal shape, said first and second flexible sheet elements being coupled together by welds (S) formed along the perimeters of their polygonal shapes to thereby define a volume (V), said perimeter defining a plurality of edges (C, C1, C2, C3), one of said plurality of edges forming a bearing edge of (C) of the container (1) resting on said base. The bearing edge (C) progressively reduces its transverse dimensions toward one end thereof with a taper angle (a) with respect to a vertical axis (X-X), such that, when the bearing edge (C) rests on the base, the component (F1) of the weight force (F) of the material contained in the container (1) applied to said bearing edge (C) causes a reaction (R1) that has the same intensity as the component (F1) directed toward the interior of the container (1), thereby causing said bearing edge (C) to retract into said volume (1) and imparting stability to the container (1) along the vertical axis (X-X).