Flexible Containers with Integrated Vent Systems
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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 dispense from, due to their solid construction and design limitations.
Innovation Solution
Development of flexible material containers with novel support structures and integrated vents that reduce material usage, simplify decoration, enhance durability, and facilitate easy dispensing by allowing the container walls to deform and recover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but material usage and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible material containers with integrated vent systems that use thin film structures instead of rigid walls. The flexible container walls can deform during handling and dispensing while maintaining sufficient structural integrity through the integrated vent design that manages internal pressure, eliminating the need for thick rigid materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite flexible materials that combine multiple layers with different properties to achieve both structural integrity and reduced material usage. The multi-layer flexible construction provides strength and barrier properties while using significantly less material than conventional rigid containers.
2Strength
If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container design eliminates complex rigid structure manufacturing processes. The integrated vent system is formed as part of the flexible material construction, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs while maintaining adequate structural integrity for handling and dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the vent system directly into the flexible container walls, eliminating separate vent components and assembly steps. This integration simplifies manufacturing and reduces production costs while maintaining the necessary structural integrity through the unified flexible material construction.
3Strength
If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of dispensing worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic flexible container design where the walls can deform during dispensing operations. The integrated vent system dynamically adjusts to pressure changes as the container is squeezed or deformed, allowing easy dispensing of fluent products while maintaining structural integrity when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible material properties allow the container to change its physical state during dispensing - becoming more compliant when force is applied and returning to its original form when force is removed. This parameter change enables easy dispensing operations while maintaining adequate structural integrity for handling and storage.
4Strength
If rigid containers are used for fluent products, then structural integrity is improved, but susceptibility to damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible container construction inherently resists damage from impacts and handling stresses by deforming elastically rather than fracturing. The integrated vent system manages pressure changes that occur during deformation, preventing structural failure while maintaining adequate integrity for normal handling and transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible material construction provides inherent cushioning against impacts and mechanical stresses before damage can occur. The material absorbs and dissipates impact energy through deformation, protecting the container contents and structure from damage during handling and transportation.
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 are cost-effective, use less material, easier to decorate, less prone to damage, and allow for controlled dispensing of products, maintaining structural integrity for handling and use.
Implementation Method 1
a vent to equalize the pressure inside the product chamber to the environment outside of the container
Implementation Method 2
allowing the container walls to deform and recover
Data Source
AI summary
Non-durable self-supporting flexible containers having product volumes and structural support frames are provided with vents to facilitate equalization of the pressure inside the product volume to the pressure of the environment outside of the containers. The vents enable rapid recovery of the structural support from a deformed state, which occurs when a fluent product is dispensed, to an undeformed state. For this purpose, the vents comprise vent paths between the environment outside of the containers and the product volume. The vents may further comprise a non-wetting material surrounding the entrance and exit of the vent path and/or microtexturing or a spacer to maintain space for air flow in the vent path.