Flexible Film Packaging for Water Treatment Tablets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging for water treatment tablets, such as those used in the residential pool industry, is costly, generates significant waste, and inefficiently uses space, while also struggling to safely contain caustic chemicals.
Innovation Solution
A package system comprising a multi-level array of tablets enclosed by a flexible film with sealed edges, handles, and a closing mechanism, which is more space-efficient and uses less material than traditional HDPE pails, while being capable of holding caustic chemicals due to the use of resistant materials like polyvinyl chloride.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HDPE pails are used for packaging water treatment tablets, then the packaging can hold caustic chemicals, but it results in high cost and high waste
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible film packaging is designed to be recyclable, transforming the traditional single-use disposable model into a recoverable system. The film can be collected and processed for reuse, reducing waste while maintaining protective functionality throughout the product lifecycle
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging utilizes composite material construction with flexible film layers that provide both chemical resistance and structural integrity. This allows the use of lighter, more recyclable materials while maintaining the ability to protect against caustic chemical exposure
2Reliability
If HDPE pails are used for packaging water treatment tablets, then the packaging can hold caustic chemicals, but it results in high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging replaces rigid HDPE pails with flexible film construction that requires less material and energy to manufacture. The thin film structure maintains chemical resistance through specialized polymer selection while dramatically reducing production costs and material consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the packaging material from rigid to flexible, and from thick to thin, while maintaining the essential protective function. This parameter transformation enables cost reduction without sacrificing the ability to protect against chemical exposure
3Duration of action of stationary object
If HDPE pails are used for packaging water treatment tablets, then the packaging is durable, but it poorly utilizes space for storage and shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible film packaging can dynamically adapt its shape and volume to conform to the product it contains. When empty, the packaging can be collapsed to minimal volume for efficient storage and shipping, while maintaining full protective capability when filled with tablets
Solution Approach 2:
Empty flexible film packages can be nested within filled packages or within each other, maximizing space utilization during storage and transportation. This nesting capability dramatically improves volume efficiency compared to rigid HDPE pails that cannot be compressed or nested
Data Source
AI summary
A package system includes a plurality of water treatment tablets stacked in a multi-level array and a layer of film. The multi-level layer of film can have a generally planar lower surface, a generally planar upper surface, and a sealed edge.