Flexible Lid Seal with Release Tab for Fluid-Tight Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container assemblies often fail to form a proper fluid-tight seal due to manufacturing defects, surface imperfections, and difficulties in installing seals, especially when food residue is present on the storage vessel.
Innovation Solution
A container assembly with a removable lid featuring a flexible seal portion that includes a ledge, blade portion, and release tab, which contacts the storage vessel's sidewall to form a fluid-tight seal, utilizing a combination of a rigid central cover and flexible seal materials like silicone or thermoplastic elastomers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional seal is used in container assemblies, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the seal fails to form a proper fluid-tight barrier due to manufacturing defects and surface imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple functional segments: a flexible seal member with a sealing surface, a ledge for positioning, and a blade portion for forming the seal. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The ledge is designed to contact the peripheral edge of the storage receptacle before the blade portion engages with the sidewall. This preliminary action ensures proper positioning and alignment of the seal, compensating for manufacturing variations and surface imperfections before the actual sealing occurs
2Reliability
If a rigid seal structure is used, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the seal cannot adapt to surface imperfections or food residue on the storage vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The seal transitions from a rigid structure to a flexible seal member made of elastomeric material. This parameter change in material flexibility allows the seal to adapt to surface imperfections and food residue while the blade portion's geometric shape maintains structural integrity during the sealing action
Solution Approach 2:
The seal combines flexible elastomeric material for the seal member with a rigid ledge and blade portion structure. This composite approach allows the flexible portion to adapt to surface variations while the rigid components provide structural support and geometric precision for reliable sealing
3Reliability
If the seal is designed to form a tight seal, then leakage is prevented, but the lid becomes difficult to remove due to vacuum formation
Solution Approach 1:
The release tab is extracted as a separate functional element from the main seal structure. It is selectively positioned to allow users to apply force at a specific point to break the vacuum seal, making lid removal easier while maintaining the integrity of the overall sealing mechanism during normal use
4Ease of manufacture
If the seal structure is simplified for easy installation, then manufacturing is easier, but the seal cannot properly contact the storage vessel sidewall to form a fluid-tight seal
Solution Approach 1:
The blade portion is designed to be deflectable, allowing it to dynamically adapt to the storage receptacle sidewall during installation. This dynamic characteristic enables the seal to form a reliable fluid-tight barrier while maintaining a relatively simple structure that is easy to install
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 seal design ensures a reliable fluid-tight seal, preventing leakage and easy lid removal by deforming to release vacuum, while maintaining structural integrity with the rigid cover portion.
Implementation Method 1
The blade portion contacts the side wall of the storage receptacle and forms a generally fluid-tight seal with the sidewall
Implementation Method 2
preventing leakage and easy lid removal by deforming to release vacuum
Data Source
AI summary
A storage container assembly comprises a storage receptacle and a removable lid. The storage receptacle has a base and a continuous sidewall connected to the base. The sidewall projects upward from the base to a peripheral edge. The removable lid has a rigid central cover portion and a flexible seal portion that traverses a perimeter of the rigid central portion. The flexible seal portion has a release tab disposed along its periphery, and a pocket disposed inward of the release tab. The flexible seal portion further has a ledge disposed generally at the periphery of the flexible seal portion. The ledge contacts the peripheral edge of the storage receptacle. The flexible seal portion further has and a blade portion disposed below the ledge. The blade portion contacts the side wall of the storage receptacle and forms a generally fluid-tight seal with the sidewall.