Friction Seal Cap and Channel for Waterproof Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealable containers fail to provide a waterproof and airtight solution for protecting items in wet or dirty environments, such as camping or hunting, while also being portable and easy to use.
Innovation Solution
A sealable container design featuring a cap and body with a protruding end that forms a friction seal with a channel when closed, ensuring a flush fit and preventing water or air from entering, with sealers on the cap and body to enhance the seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional sealable container design is used, then the container structure is simple, but the container fails to provide a waterproof and airtight seal
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into separate functional components: a cap with protruding end, a body with channel, and distinct sealers (grommet, friction sealer, lip sealer). Each component has a specific sealing function, allowing the system to achieve waterproof and airtight protection through modular segmentation rather than a single complex sealing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sealers are nested within each other in a concentric arrangement: the grommet is positioned within the channel, the friction sealer is nested on the protruding end, and the lip sealer is positioned at the interface. This nested configuration allows multiple sealing actions to occur simultaneously within a compact structure, achieving reliable sealing without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If the cap extends into the cavity to provide sealing, then the seal may be more effective, but the cap structure becomes more complex and may interfere with content storage
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the main cap body and implemented through separate dedicated sealers (grommet, friction sealer, lip sealer) that engage with the channel and protruding end. This extraction allows the cap to maintain a simple structure without extending into the cavity, while still achieving effective sealing through the specialized sealing components positioned at the cap-body interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding end acts as an intermediary element between the cap and body, providing a dedicated engagement surface for the friction sealer and lip sealer. This intermediary structure enables effective sealing without requiring the cap to extend into the cavity, maintaining both simplicity and sealing effectiveness.
3Reliability
If a friction seal is used between the cap and body, then the seal is waterproof and airtight, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surfaces are designed with localized specific properties: the channel has a predetermined cross-sectional shape that mates with the protruding end, and the friction sealer and lip sealer are positioned at specific locations to create friction-based sealing contact. This local quality approach concentrates the sealing function at specific interfaces, making the overall system more tolerant of general manufacturing variations while maintaining precise sealing contact where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism utilizes friction as the primary sealing parameter rather than relying solely on tight dimensional tolerances. By designing the protruding end and channel to engage through friction (rather than precise interference fit), the system achieves waterproof and airtight sealing with more relaxed manufacturing precision requirements, as friction can compensate for minor dimensional variations.
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 container effectively keeps contents dry and secure, suitable for various uses, including outdoor activities and daily items, by maintaining a waterproof and airtight seal without any part of the cap extending into the cavity.
Implementation Method 1
the sealers create a friction seal with interior sides of the channel
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of a container may include a cap and a body. The cap may include a top portion, cap walls that form an outer perimeter, and a protruding end that forms an inner perimeter sized smaller than the outer perimeter. The body may include a bottom portion and body walls with distal outermost ends that form a cavity and a body perimeter. The body perimeter may be substantially the same as the outer perimeter. The body may also include upper outer and inner rims disposed around the entire distal outermost ends and having a channel between them. The channel may be sized to receive the protruding end in a friction seal when the container is in a closed position. No portion of the cap may be configured to extend into the cavity or beyond the body perimeter in the closed position.