Hot-fillable Bottle Sidewall Design for Vacuum Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot-fillable plastic bottles struggle to achieve a price advantage through thinner wall thickness while maintaining resistance to sidewall ovalization and other unwanted deformations comparable to thicker walled bottles.
Innovation Solution
A blow-molded bottle design featuring a base with a continuous seating ring and inwardly projecting flexible rings, a shoulder with tapered vertical ribs and vacuum responsive panels, and a sidewall with cylindrical surfaces separated by annular flexible rings, which provide enhanced flexibility and resistance to radial deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If wall thickness is reduced to achieve thinner walled bottles with price advantage, then material cost and weight are reduced, but resistance to sidewall ovalization and radial deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sidewall is segmented into multiple cylindrical wall sections separated by annular flexible rings. This segmentation allows each section to independently respond to vacuum forces while the rings provide structural reinforcement, maintaining ovalization resistance with thinner overall wall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle structure transitions from uniform thickness to localized variation: thinner cylindrical wall sections for cost reduction, with thicker annular flexible rings positioned strategically at specific locations to provide reinforcement where needed for resistance to deformation.
2Ease of manufacture
If wall thickness is reduced to achieve thinner walled bottles, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but structural rigidity and resistance to vacuum distortion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sidewall is divided into multiple cylindrical sections separated by annular flexible rings, allowing the use of thinner material in the cylindrical portions while maintaining overall structural integrity through the segmented design and strategic placement of reinforcing rings.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular flexible rings are designed to be vertically flexible, allowing them to deform under vacuum pressure while maintaining their structural function. This flexibility compensates for the reduced rigidity of thinner wall sections, enabling cost-effective thin-walled construction without sacrificing vacuum resistance.
3Strength
If annular flexible rings are added to provide resistance to radial collapse, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The annular flexible rings serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as structural reinforcements to prevent radial collapse, provide vertical flexibility to accommodate vacuum deformation, and segment the sidewall into functional sections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible rings are integrated directly into the molded bottle structure as thin film elements, avoiding the need for separate attachment components. Their flexibility is built into the material and geometry, allowing them to perform reinforcement and deformation accommodation functions without adding mechanical complexity.
4Reliability
If vertical ribs are added to the shoulder to create vacuum responsive panels, then vacuum resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical ribs and vacuum responsive panels are pre-formed as integral features of the molded bottle structure. The ribs are positioned and sized during molding to automatically create the desired panel configurations that respond to vacuum forces, eliminating the need for post-molding assembly or adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoulder structure uses variations in rib dimensions and panel geometries as design parameters to control vacuum response. By adjusting rib width, height, and spacing during the molding design phase, the vacuum resistance is optimized without requiring complex multi-step manufacturing processes.
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 achieves resistance to sidewall ovalization and other radial deformations comparable to thicker walled bottles while reducing material usage and cost, accommodating post-capping vacuum and enhancing overall vacuum development.
Implementation Method 1
accommodating post-capping vacuum and enhancing overall vacuum development
Implementation Method 2
changes in internal pressure of the bottle due to post capping shrinkage of the contents due to cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A base including an inwardly and upwardly projecting flexible surface within a continuous seating ring supports a generally cylindrical wall extending upward from the base. A plurality of annular inwardly projecting, and vertically flexible rings interrupting the cylindrical wall. At least one of rings projects inwardly more than some others of the rings to achieve an improved sidewall crush resistance A shoulder portion, includes a plurality of vertical ribs separating a plurality of vacuum responsive panels. The vertical flexibility of the bottle sidewall reduces the amount of flexing required in the shoulder panels and base to accommodate the same vacuum development, and enhances the total amount of post capping vacuum development that can be accommodated by the bottle as a whole.