Flexible container with dispensing pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible containers lack the ability to conveniently and accurately dispense a metered dose of liquid content, failing to provide a practical solution for controlled fluid dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A flexible container design featuring four panels made of multilayer film, forming a body, neck, and handle with a dispensing pump attached to the neck, allowing for metered dosing and serving as a handle for carrying the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible container uses conventional design without integrated dispensing mechanism, then manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness are maintained, but the ability to conveniently and accurately dispense metered dose of liquid content is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the flexible container body with a rigid fitment assembly that includes an integrated dispensing pump mechanism. The pump is directly attached to the fitment, merging storage and metered dispensing functions into a single unified structure, enabling convenient metered dose delivery without requiring separate dispensing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The fitment assembly serves multiple functions: it provides a sealed closure for the flexible container, acts as a mounting structure for the dispensing pump, and enables metered dose dispensing through the integrated pump mechanism. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by adding dispensing capability without proportionally increasing overall complexity
2Measurement precision
If a flexible container integrates a dispensing pump, then the ability to accurately dispense metered dose is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing system is segmented into distinct functional components: the flexible container body, the rigid fitment, and the integrated pump mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity, achieving accurate metered dispensing through the specialized pump design without unnecessarily complicating the entire container structure
Solution Approach 2:
The fitment acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the flexible container body and the rigid dispensing pump. This intermediate component provides a stable mounting platform for the pump while maintaining compatibility with the flexible container, enabling accurate metered dispensing without requiring direct integration that would increase overall complexity
3Strength
If a flexible container uses multilayer film panels to form body, neck, and handle, then structural integrity and functionality are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies particular multilayer film constructions with defined layer compositions and properties to achieve the required structural integrity for supporting the rigid fitment and pump assembly. By optimizing film parameters such as layer thickness, material composition, and sealing characteristics, the container achieves necessary strength while maintaining manufacturability through established flexible packaging techniques
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible container (10) is disclosed. The flexible container (10) includes four panels (18, 20, 22, 24), each panel comprising a flexible multilayer film. Each flexible multilayer film is composed of a polymeric material. The four panels form (i) a body, (ii) a neck, and (iii) a handle. The handle (12) has an upper handle portion (12a) and a pair of spaced-apart legs (13, 15). The legs extend from the upper handle portion to the body on opposing sides of the neck. The flexible container includes a fitment (70) sealed to the neck. The flexible container includes a dispensing pump (100) attached to the fitment. The flexible container can provide a metered dose from a dispensing pump and the dispensing pump can also function as a handle to hand-carry the flexible container.