Multi-Part Floating Lid Closure for Retort Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closures for containers fail to effectively withstand high pressure and high temperature sterilization processes, such as retort, without rupturing or compromising the seal, leading to potential product contamination and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A multi-part floating lid closure system comprising a lid-reinforcing core, an elastic barrier film, and a gasket, which expands and contracts during the retort process to maintain the seal and minimize risk of damage, using a disk or annular band as the lid-reinforcing core to support the elastic barrier film and gasket, ensuring the closure remains intact and functional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional closure is used for container sterilization, then the closure structure is simple, but the closure ruptures or compromises the seal during high pressure and high temperature sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into multiple functional components: a rigid lid-reinforcing core, an elastic barrier film, and a gasket. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the core provides structural support, the film provides sealing, and the gasket provides additional sealing at the interface, collectively maintaining seal integrity during sterilization without requiring excessive overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The closure combines materials with different mechanical properties - a rigid lid-reinforcing core material, an elastic barrier film material, and a gasket material - to create a composite structure. This composite construction allows the closure to simultaneously maintain structural integrity and provide flexible sealing during high pressure and temperature sterilization processes
2Strength
If the closure is made more robust to withstand retort, then the seal integrity is maintained, but the closure becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The closure incorporates an elastic barrier film that can dynamically expand and contract in response to pressure changes during sterilization. This dynamic flexibility allows the closure to withstand high pressure without requiring excessive structural rigidity, maintaining strength while simplifying the overall design and manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic barrier film changes its physical parameters (shape, volume, position) in response to pressure and temperature changes during sterilization. This parameter adaptability allows the closure to maintain seal integrity under varying conditions without requiring a complex rigid structure, easing manufacturing requirements
3Strength
If the lid-reinforcing core is made larger to support the elastic barrier film, then the structural support is improved, but the closure size increases and may interfere with the container
Solution Approach 1:
The lid-reinforcing core is designed with local quality - providing structural support precisely where needed to support the elastic barrier film during sterilization, rather than uniformly throughout the entire closure. This localized reinforcement maintains necessary strength while minimizing overall closure volume and preventing interference with the container
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 closure system successfully withstands high pressure and temperature sterilization, maintaining the seal and preventing product leakage or contamination, while minimizing the risk of damage and providing a tamper-evident feature post-process.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic barrier film configured to close the open mouth of the container and configured to expand and contract in response to pressure changes within the container during the retort process
Implementation Method 2
During retort, high pressure is formed in the product-storage region of the container that may cause portions of the elastic barrier film and disk to expand and move through an aperture formed in the lid-retainer ring
Implementation Method 3
After retort, low pressure is formed in the product-storage region of that container that may cause portions of the elastic barrier film and disk to contract and move through the open mouth formed in the container
Data Source
AI summary
A canister includes a container and a closure. The container is formed to include a product-storage region and an open mouth that opens into the product-storage region. The closure is configured to couple to the container to close the open mouth.