Invertible Diaphragm for Hot-Fillable Plastic Container Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot-fillable plastic containers, such as those made from PET, face issues with mechanical rigidity and stability due to diaphragms that collapse under pressure, leading to potential pallet collapse during stacking and handling.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring an invertible diaphragm with a specific curvature and articulation configuration, including a standing ring, inner and outer junctions, and a depth greater than 1 mm, which allows the diaphragm to maintain an inwardly-inclined position, enhancing mechanical strength and resistance to pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the diaphragm is forced inwards to an inwardly-inclined position to improve container rigidity, then the container gains mechanical strength, but the diaphragm collapses back under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm is inverted from its conventional configuration. Instead of having the concavity facing outward, the diaphragm is configured with the concavity facing inward, creating an inwardly-inclined position that naturally resists pressure from the container contents. This inversion allows the diaphragm to maintain its position without collapsing back, as the concave shape toward the interior provides structural support against internal pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm employs specific curvature characteristics with a concave shape toward the container interior. This curved configuration, particularly the concavity facing inward, provides mechanical advantage by distributing pressure forces more effectively across the diaphragm surface, enabling it to maintain the inwardly-inclined position and prevent collapse under pressure.
2Reliability
If the diaphragm extraction volume is increased to improve pressure compensation, then the diaphragm can better withstand pressure, but the inversion becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes specific geometric parameters of the diaphragm, including the depth of concavity (greater than 1 mm), the radius of curvature, and the dimensions of the outer and inner portions. These parameter changes enable the diaphragm to achieve sufficient extraction volume for pressure resistance while maintaining feasibility for inversion during the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm is designed with a concavity depth greater than 1 mm, which provides sufficient extraction volume to ensure reliable pressure compensation and position stability. This excessive action (deeper than minimum required) guarantees that the diaphragm can withstand pressure forces while still being invertible through mechanical means during manufacturing.
3Ease of manufacture
If the diaphragm is configured with concavity turned outwards to simplify manufacturing, then the initial configuration is easier to achieve, but the container lacks sufficient rigidity when stacked
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than configuring the diaphragm with concavity outward and attempting to force it inward, the invention inverts this approach by configuring the diaphragm with concavity inward from the start. This inverted configuration naturally provides the required rigidity for stacked containers while remaining manufacturable through standard blow molding processes with appropriate tooling.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a container, made of plastic material, and provided with a base including a standing ring forming a support flange, an inner wall, a diaphragm and a central portion, the diaphragm being capable of standing in an outwardly-inclined position. The diaphragm connects to the standing ring at an outer junction, and connects to the central portion at an inner junction. The diaphragm is invertible with respect to the standing ring from the outwardly-inclined position to an inwardly-inclined position. In the outwardly-inclined position, the whole diaphragm is curved in radial section, with a concavity turned inwards with respect to the container. The diaphragm has a depth strictly greater than 1 mm.