Flexible Container Expansion Material Insertion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rigid containers for fluent products are expensive to produce, require significant materials, are difficult to decorate, prone to damage, and challenging to resize, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing and consumer use.

Innovation Solution

Flexible containers made from materials that can be easily converted into finished products with less energy and material usage, featuring novel support structures that allow for deformation and easy decoration, and can be easily resized without significant expense or time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but production cost increases and material usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies flexible containers made from thin film laminates instead of rigid materials. The flexible container includes a product space defined by flexible material layers that are sealed to form the container structure, eliminating the need for expensive rigid molding processes while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for containing and dispensing fluent products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite flexible materials consisting of multiple layers including outer flexible material, inner flexible material, and sealing layers. These composite flexible materials provide the necessary strength, barrier properties, and sealability without requiring thick rigid walls, thus reducing material usage and production cost while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but material usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmaterial usage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs thin film laminates to construct the flexible container, using significantly less material compared to rigid containers. The flexible material layers are sealed together to form the container structure, providing adequate strength with minimal material consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes multi-layer composite flexible materials where each layer serves a specific function (outer layer for strength, inner layer for product contact, sealing layers for closure). This composite structure achieves the required structural integrity with thin layers, minimizing overall material usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of decoration worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of decoration

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible container's thin film surface provides an ideal substrate for decoration methods such as printing, embossing, or lamination. The flexibility of the material allows for easier application and customization of decorative elements compared to rigid surfaces, while the underlying composite structure maintains structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Strength

If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but adaptability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of resizing

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible materials that can be dynamically adjusted in size and shape. The flexible container can be resized or reconfigured by modifying the dimensions of the flexible material layers and sealing patterns, allowing adaptability without requiring new rigid mold tools, while the composite structure maintains structural integrity at different sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

Flexible containers reduce production costs, minimize material usage, enhance durability, facilitate easier decoration and resizing, and improve user experience by allowing for controlled dispensing of products.

Implementation Method 1

adding liquid nitrogen to a flexible container, wherein the liquid nitrogen expands into a gaseous form, increasing a volume of the liquid nitrogen

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExpansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3615431B1Methods of adding expansion material to flexible containers

Publication Date: 2021.10.06 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C

AI summary

Methods of opening and adding expansion materials to containers made from flexible materials. The methods involve forming a partially completed container blank that may have four layers of flexible materials. The partially completed container blank may be opened by separating a portion of the first layer from a portion of the second layer by bending portions of the second, third, and fourth layers toward a first direction; and dosing the partially completed container blank, by adding an expansion material out of a dispenser and into a space disposed between a portion of the first layer and a portion of the second layer.