Liquid-Tight Laminate Container Joining for Impact-Resistant Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food containers, such as cans and glass jars, have issues with weight, energy consumption in production, transportation, safety risks, difficulty in opening, and potential for contamination due to sharp edges and splinters, as well as limitations in labeling and printing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-tight container made of laminate with a jacket element and end elements formed from sheet-like materials, featuring a specific edge configuration and joining elements to enhance mechanical stability and sealing, reducing the number of folds and improving tightness, especially after mechanical impacts like falls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cans and glass jars are used for food storage, then food can be preserved for long periods, but the weight increases and energy consumption for production and transportation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses laminate materials consisting of multiple layers including cardboard, plastic, and aluminum foil to create a container that combines the strength and protective properties of different materials. This composite structure provides excellent food preservation while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional glass or metal cans.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs thin film structures and flexible laminate materials that provide sufficient protection and sealing for food preservation without requiring thick, heavy walls. The flexible nature of the laminate allows for lightweight construction while maintaining structural integrity and food safety.
2Reliability
If glass jars are used, then food can be stored with good preservation, but production energy and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The laminate composite structure uses materials that can be produced through more energy-efficient processes compared to glass manufacturing. The layered construction allows for optimized material selection and production methods that reduce overall energy consumption while maintaining food preservation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters and construction methodology from traditional glass to laminate composites, enabling production processes that consume less energy. The modular laminate structure can be manufactured using lower-energy techniques while achieving equivalent or superior preservation performance.
3Ease of operation
If cans are opened, then food can be accessed, but sharp edges cause injury risks
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible laminate structure allows the container to be opened in a controlled manner that eliminates sharp edges. The material's flexibility enables smooth opening mechanisms that prevent the formation of hazardous sharp edges, making the opening process safer for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed as a disposable laminate structure that can be safely opened and disposed of after use. This approach eliminates the need for complex opening mechanisms and reduces safety concerns associated with reusable containers with sharp edges, as the entire container is discarded after single use.
4Ease of operation
If jars are opened, then food can be accessed, but considerable force or tools are required
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible laminate material enables the container to be opened with minimal force through its inherent flexibility. The material can be easily manipulated and opened without requiring significant force or specialized tools, making the opening process simple and user-friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design incorporates dynamic opening characteristics that allow easy manipulation and opening. The flexible laminate structure can be easily bent, folded, and opened without requiring rigid opening mechanisms or excessive force, providing dynamic ease of operation.
5Reliability
If glass jars are used, then food can be stored, but glass splinters may contaminate the foodstuff
Solution Approach 1:
The laminate composite construction replaces glass entirely with layers of cardboard, plastic, and aluminum foil that cannot produce splinters. This material substitution eliminates the hazard of glass splinters contaminating food while maintaining excellent food storage and preservation properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible laminate film structure provides a smooth, non-sparking surface that cannot generate contaminants like glass splinters. The thin film construction ensures food safety by eliminating the risk of sharp fragments or splinters mixing with the stored foodstuff.
6Reliability
If cans and jars are used, then food can be preserved, but labeling and printing capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The laminate composite structure provides an ideal substrate for direct printing and labeling. The material surface allows for high-quality graphic reproduction and text application directly on the container body, eliminating the need for separate labeling processes required by glass and metal cans.
Solution Approach 2:
The container design merges the labeling function directly into the container body through direct printing capabilities. This integration eliminates the need for separate labels and adhesive applications, combining the preservation function with the information communication function in a single unified structure.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a container comprising a container wall at least partially enclosing a container interior, and a first joining element; wherein a jacket element and a first end element each form a region of the container wall; wherein at least one first plane running parallel to the length of the container through the container interior comprises a first joining layer sequence, over the entire lateral extent of which, with respect to the first joining layer sequence, the jacket element, the first joining element and the first end element directly follow one another as layers; wherein the first joining element has a first surface contacting the first end element and a second surface contacting the jacket element; wherein an imaginary first straight line connects both end points of a first line formed in the at least one first plane by the first surface and lying within the first joining layer sequence; wherein an imaginary second straight line connects both end points of a second line formed in the at least one first plane by the second surface and lying within the first joining layer sequence; wherein the first straight line forms a first acute angle with the second straight line. The invention further relates to methods and a device for the production of the container and to uses of the container, of a sheet-like composite and of joining tools.