Double-Walled Container with Gradient Adhesion for Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional double-walled food containers with cardboard and plastic film components are difficult to separate for recycling, leading to tearing and contamination issues during the recycling process.
Innovation Solution
A double-walled container design featuring an outer cardboard wall integral with a plastic film inner casing, where the adhesion zone between the two components has a continuously decreasing adhesion force along a vertical axis, facilitating easier separation during recycling while maintaining mechanical strength and shape integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the adhesion force between outer wall and inner casing is uniform throughout, then the container maintains good mechanical strength and shape integrity, but the components are difficult to separate for recycling causing tearing and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesion force is made non-uniform by creating a separation zone with reduced adhesion in the lower portion of the container, while maintaining strong adhesion in the upper portion. This local differentiation allows the container to have both strong overall bonding for mechanical integrity and a specific weak zone that facilitates easy separation during recycling without causing tearing or contamination.
2Reliability
If the adhesion zone provides strong bonding throughout, then the container maintains structural integrity during use, but the recycling process becomes complicated requiring manual separation and causing material contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesion zone is segmented into two distinct regions: an upper region with strong adhesion force that ensures structural integrity during use, and a lower separation zone with reduced adhesion force that enables easy separation during recycling. This segmentation allows the container to reliably maintain structural integrity while operational and simultaneously facilitates simple recycling processes without manual intervention or material contamination.
3Shape
If the entire side wall is bonded adhesive, then the container maintains good shape fidelity and mechanical reinforcement, but the recycling process causes tearing of cardboard and plastic films
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive bonding is applied selectively to different zones of the side wall with different properties. The upper portion has full adhesive bonding that provides shape fidelity and mechanical reinforcement, while the lower separation zone has reduced or no adhesive bonding that prevents tearing during recycling. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between maintaining shape integrity and preventing damage during recycling.
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
This design allows for efficient separation of the cardboard and plastic components during recycling, reducing the risk of tearing and maintaining the container's shape and mechanical strength, thus enhancing the recycling process without polluting the cardboard recycling sector.
Implementation Method 1
the inner casing is formed by a plastic film comprising a thermo-adhesive face
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The container (1) has an outer wall (2) integral with an inner casing (3), where each of the outer wall and the inner casing includes a bottom and a sidewall. The inner casing is formed by a plastic film covered by a thermo-adhesive coating. The side wall of the inner casing is secured to the sidewall of the outer wall by an adhesive area (4), where the adhesion strength of the adhesive area continuously decreases along an axis (X) vertical to the bottom (1a) of the container and directed from the top of the sidewall towards the bottom of the container. An independent claim is also included for a barquette.