Meltable Crack Sealant Packaging Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crack sealant packaging is prone to damage, expensive, and inefficient in terms of storage and transportation space, with corrugated boxes being susceptible to wind and water damage, and alternative meltable packaging materials like expanded polystyrene and non-woven films being fragile and costly.
Innovation Solution
A meltable crack sealant packaging system comprising a polypropylene container with a polypropylene lid and a pivoting carry handle, designed to be durable, watertight, and self-supporting, allowing for stable stacking and handling, and capable of being melted with the crack sealant for application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If corrugated boxes are used for packaging crack sealant, then the packaging is inexpensive and recyclable, but the boxes are susceptible to damage from wind, water, and compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a corrugated cardboard outer shell with an expanded polystyrene inner liner. The corrugated cardboard provides structural strength and compression resistance, while the expanded polystyrene provides water resistance and protection against wind damage. This composite approach maintains the low cost of cardboard packaging while significantly improving durability and environmental resistance.
2Reliability
If expanded polymer containers are used for packaging crack sealant, then the packaging is water resistant and can be melted with the sealant, but the containers are expensive and require much more storage and transportation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the expanded polystyrene liner inside the corrugated cardboard container, creating a space-efficient composite structure. The expanded polystyrene provides the necessary water resistance and meltability, while the corrugated cardboard outer shell provides structural support and reduces the overall volume compared to using thick expanded polymer walls alone. This nested arrangement allows the packaging to maintain water resistance while reducing storage and transportation space requirements.
3Reliability
If non-woven fiber packaging material is used, then the packaging is water resistant and can be melted with the crack sealant, but the packaging is difficult to handle and becomes brittle after prolonged sunlight exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines corrugated cardboard with expanded polystyrene to create a composite packaging structure. The corrugated cardboard outer shell provides ease of handling, structural integrity, and resistance to brittleness from sunlight exposure, while the expanded polystyrene inner liner provides water resistance and meltability. This composite approach maintains the beneficial properties of both materials while eliminating their individual drawbacks.
4Strength
If thicker container walls are used to improve durability, then the packaging is more resistant to damage, but less crack sealant can be delivered to the melting equipment per charge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where the corrugated cardboard provides structural strength and durability with minimal wall thickness, while the expanded polystyrene liner provides the necessary protection and functional properties. This allows the container walls to remain thin, maximizing the internal volume available for crack sealant storage, while still achieving high durability through the synergistic combination of materials.
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 packaging is rugged, water-resistant, and cost-effective, providing improved durability and efficiency in storage and transportation, eliminating the need for separate recycling of boxes and reducing material loss during handling, while enhancing the crack sealant's properties with lower surface tack, higher softening point, and lower penetration.
Implementation Method 1
the container and lid, together with the crack sealant composition contained within, are inserted into heating equipment and heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the container and lid
Implementation Method 2
heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the container and lid, and thereby mix the melted container and lid with the molten crack sealant composition
Data Source
AI summary
A meltable crack sealant package that includes a polymeric container and a crack sealant material contained therein. The polymeric container includes a bottom portion including a rigid base and an upwardly extending rigid sidewall that terminates in and define an opening. The rigid base and upwardly extending rigid sidewall cooperate to define a reservoir. A rigid lid portion operatively engages with the bottom portion to close off the opening and thereby seal the crack sealant material within the reservoir in a watertight manner. Methods of making and using the meltable crack sealant package are also disclosed.