Flexible Bottom Panel for Vacuum-Resistant PET Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Oxygen-scavenging products in containers create a vacuum that can collapse the container walls, leading to an unappealing appearance and potential product defects, as existing solutions like adding material or ribs increase weight and detract from aesthetics while being difficult to use.
Innovation Solution
A PET container with a flexible panel featuring radially extending surfaces, including downward and upward ramps, a bullet-nose structure, and interlocking dimples that allow for dynamic movement to offset pressure differentials without additional material or structural reinforcement, maintaining the container's appearance and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional material is added to the sidewalls to strengthen the container, then the container resistance to vacuum pressure is improved, but the weight of the container increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible panel at the bottom of the container that can deform under vacuum pressure. This flexible membrane absorbs the vacuum forces through controlled deformation, eliminating the need for additional strengthening material in the sidewalls. The flexible panel acts as a pressure-absorbing element that maintains container integrity without adding weight to the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the bottom panel by making it flexible rather than rigid. This parameter change allows the bottom to deform elastically under vacuum pressure, absorbing the stress that would otherwise require additional strengthening material. The flexible panel's ability to change shape under load provides strength without increasing mass.
2Strength
If ribs are added to the container sidewalls to prevent collapsing, then the container structural integrity is improved, but the aesthetic design is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible panel provides structural integrity through material flexibility rather than rigid geometric reinforcement. This eliminates the need for visible ribs or structural elements on the container exterior, maintaining the smooth aesthetic design while still preventing collapsing through the bottom panel's ability to deform and absorb vacuum pressures.
3Strength
If ribs are added to the container sidewalls to prevent collapsing, then the container structural integrity is improved, but the ease of product removal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible panel maintains structural integrity without adding external ribs that would interfere with product access. The reinforcement is located at the bottom interior where it does not obstruct the user's ability to reach into and remove product from the container, preserving ease of operation while providing necessary strength.
4Strength
If additional material is added to the sidewalls, then the container resistance to vacuum pressure is improved, but the material thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible panel provides vacuum pressure resistance through deformation capability rather than increased thickness. This allows the sidewalls to maintain their original thin profile while the bottom panel absorbs the vacuum loads through elastic deformation, eliminating the need to increase material thickness anywhere in the container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical behavior of the bottom panel from rigid to flexible, allowing it to deform under load. This parameter change enables the container to resist vacuum pressure without increasing material thickness, as the flexible panel absorbs stresses through shape change rather than requiring thicker walls.
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 flexible panel design prevents container buckling by moving inwardly before the sidewalls, maintaining the container's appearance and usability while reducing material thickness and tension, thus addressing the vacuum-induced collapse issue without adding weight or compromising aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible panel having a plurality of surfaces that each extend radially around a longitudinal axis of the container
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a container that includes a top having an opening configured to receive a product. The container also includes a bottom adjoining a sidewall that extends to the top of the container and a flexible panel disposed on the bottom and having a plurality of surfaces that each extend radially around a longitudinal axis of the container. One of the plurality of surfaces comprises a downward ramp that extends away from the top of the container when moving radially inward along the downward ramp and another of the surfaces comprises an upward ramp that extends toward the top of the container when moving radially inward along the upward ramp. The surfaces may include dimples protruding inward from the outer surface of the container that have an interlocking pattern.