Flexible Pouch Closure with Dual Tabs for Unobstructed Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible containers with both flexible sealing members and rigid closure elements often experience misplacement issues, leading to incomplete sealing, increased manufacturing costs due to defective products, and user dissatisfaction, as the rigid closure element can obstruct the lifting tab of the flexible sealing member.
Innovation Solution
A flexible container design featuring a flexible pouch with a dispensing aperture, a flexible sealing member with multiple lifting tabs, and a rigid closure element with a hinge-based lid, where at least one lifting tab is attached with a lower adhesive peel force or lighter adhesive coverage to ensure accessibility and prevent obstruction, allowing for easy opening and resealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid closure element is added to cover the flexible sealing member and dispensing aperture, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases and the lifting tab may be obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid closure element is divided into a base portion and a lid portion that can move relative to each other. The base is attached to the pouch while the lid can be opened to access the dispensing aperture, allowing the sealing function to be maintained when closed while providing access when opened.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sealing member is positioned within the enclosure formed by the rigid closure element's base and lid. The lifting tab extends through an opening in the base, allowing the tab to be accessible from the outside while the sealing member remains protected within the rigid closure structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the rigid closure element is strongly secured to the flexible pouch, then the closure stability is improved, but the lifting tab becomes obstructed and cannot be used
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting tab is positioned such that it extends through an opening in the base of the rigid closure element. This allows the tab to be accessible from the exterior for opening the flexible sealing member, while the tab remains nested within the overall closure structure when not in use.
3Manufacturing precision
If the flexible sealing member or rigid closure element is made substantially larger than the dispensing aperture, then the placement tolerance is improved, but the device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into the flexible sealing member that directly covers the dispensing aperture and the rigid closure element that provides additional protection. The flexible sealing member can be sized appropriately for the aperture while the rigid closure provides the additional tolerance buffer.
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 design ensures reliable access to the contents by ensuring at least one lifting tab remains usable despite misplacement, reducing manufacturing defects and costs, and maintaining the container's sealability, thus enhancing user experience and product reliability.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the lifting tabs is attached to the flexible pouch either by a first adhesive having a lower peel force than a second adhesive by which the remainder of the flexible sealing member is attached to the flexible pouch
Implementation Method 2
a first adhesive having a lower peel force than a second adhesive by which the remainder of the flexible sealing member is attached to the flexible pouch
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A flexible container (1) including a flexible pouch (2) having a dispensing aperture (12) through which an interior space (11) is accessible from outside the flexible pouch (2), a flexible sealing member (13) releasably attached to the flexible pouch (2) and covering the dispensing aperture (12), and a rigid closure element (16) surrounding the dispensing aperture (12). The flexible sealing member (13) has at least two lifting tabs (14, 15) for lifting the flexible sealing member (13) and thereby exposing the dispensing aperture (12). The rigid closure element (16) has a base (17) permanently attached to the flexible pouch (2) and lid (18) connected to the base (17) by a hinge (19). At least one of the lifting tabs (14, 15) is likely to not be obstructed by the rigid closure element (16) when the lid (18) is in an open condition, thereby remaining usable for lifting the flexible sealing member (13) to expose the dispensing aperture (12), even if another lifting tab (14, 15) is obstructed by the rigid closure element (16).