Molded Plastic Container With Hydraulic Blow Molding Braille Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing molded plastic containers lack the capability to effectively incorporate small, detailed patterns or tactile writing, such as braille, directly onto the container surface, relying instead on labels for such information.
Innovation Solution
A method of forming molded plastic containers using hydraulic blow molding, where an incompressible medium is injected under pressure into a preform, expanding it within a mold to form and fill the container simultaneously, and forcing plastic material into recesses in the mold cavity to create raised dots or embossed textures that can form tactile writing features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional air blow molding is used to form containers, then the container can be formed with basic shapes and large patterns, but small detailed patterns and tactile writing such as braille cannot be effectively incorporated into the container surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the container forming process with the information presentation process by integrating braille dot formation directly into the mold cavity. The mold includes recesses that form raised braille dots on the container surface during the blow molding process, eliminating the need for separate labeling or embossing operations. This merging of processes enables small detailed patterns to be effectively incorporated into the container surface.
2Ease of operation
If information is provided only on labels, then the container itself remains simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but tactile information such as braille is not directly accessible on the container surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the braille dot patterns into the mold cavity before the container manufacturing process. The recesses are precisely engineered into the mold surface in advance, so that when the plastic material is molded against the cavity surface, the braille dots are automatically formed with the correct dimensions and positioning. This preliminary preparation enables tactile information to be directly accessible on the container surface while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the mold cavity surface is used to form container shapes, then basic container geometry is achieved, but small recesses for detailed patterns cannot be effectively formed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only specific localized areas of the mold cavity surface where braille dots need to be formed, while leaving the rest of the cavity surface unchanged for forming the basic container geometry. The recesses are created only in the specific regions where tactile information is required, such as on the shoulder or body of the container. This localized modification approach enables small features to be formed without requiring complete redesign of the entire mold surface.
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 approach allows for the creation of containers with raised dots or embossed textures that provide tactile information, such as braille, with improved detail and clarity, enhancing user accessibility and information presentation.
Implementation Method 1
injecting an incompressible medium under pressure into the preform, the incompressible medium being an end product remaining in the molded container; expanding the preform in the cavity under the influence of the incompressible medium
Implementation Method 2
during expanding of the preform, forcing portions of the plastic material into a series of recesses defined in the cavity surface
Data Source
AI summary
A molded container of plastic material. The molded container including a neck finish defining an opening into the molded container, a body extending from the neck finish and including a shoulder adjacent the neck finish, a base defining a closed end of the container, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the base. Formed on a surface of the container and being defined by the plastic material is a molded surface texture pattern.