Molded Fiber Pulp Container with Removable Liner for Recyclable Liquid Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current liquid packaging solutions, such as glass, plastic, and laminated cardboard containers, face challenges in recycling due to separation requirements, non-biodegradability, and environmental impact, with issues like waste accumulation and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
The development of containers featuring a liquid-holding bag with a fitment integrated with a molded fiber or pulp-formed skeleton shell, which supports the bag and allows for secure connection through flanges or heat stakes, facilitating easier recycling and reduced material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass bottles are used for liquid packaging, then the liquid can be contained securely, but the energy required to make the bottles is high and the weight is high increasing transportation energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to molded fiber pulp, fundamentally altering the physical properties of the packaging material. This enables the container to maintain structural integrity for liquid containment while reducing weight by approximately 90% compared to glass bottles, thereby dramatically reducing transportation energy requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction with an inner liquid-containing bag made of flexible material and an outer molded fiber pulp shell providing structural support. This composite approach allows the container to achieve both the flexibility needed for liquid containment and the rigidity required for structural strength, while maintaining low weight
2Reliability
If glass bottles are used for liquid packaging, then the liquid can be contained securely, but the glass bottles are not biodegradable and accumulate in landfills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter from synthetic glass to natural molded fiber pulp, transforming the environmental degradation characteristics from non-biodegradable to biodegradable. The molded fiber shell and inner bag are designed to decompose naturally after use, eliminating long-term landfill accumulation while maintaining secure liquid containment during use
Solution Approach 2:
The invention embraces a disposable packaging model using inexpensive molded fiber pulp that is designed for single use and then natural decomposition. This approach replaces durable but non-biodegradable glass with a material that is economically viable for single-use applications and environmentally benign after disposal, aligning with sustainable packaging trends
3Ease of manufacture
If plastic bottles are used for liquid packaging, then the material can be recycled if separated from other waste, but the bottles take up excessive space in landfills when not recycled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the volume parameter by using a collapsible inner bag design that reduces the volume of contained material to only what is necessary for the liquid product itself. The molded fiber shell provides minimal structural support and collapses as the liquid is dispensed, dramatically reducing landfill volume compared to rigid plastic bottles that maintain their full form even when empty
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs flexible thin-film inner bags made of laminated materials to contain the liquid, allowing the packaging to conform exactly to the volume of the liquid product. This eliminates the excessive empty space inherent in rigid plastic bottles, reducing both transportation volume and final landfill volume while maintaining product protection
4Reliability
If laminated cardboard containers are used for liquid packaging, then the container can hold liquid with waterproof coating, but the package is difficult to recycle and the coating prevents full decomposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packaging system into separable components: an inner liquid-containing bag with waterproof coating and an outer molded fiber pulp shell. This segmentation allows the components to be processed differently - the inner bag can be incinerated with energy recovery while the outer shell can be composted or pulped, overcoming the recycling difficulties of fully laminated containers
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the waterproof coating function from the entire container structure and applies it only to the inner bag that直接接触 the liquid. The outer molded fiber shell remains uncoated and naturally biodegradable, allowing it to be composted or processed in conventional pulp mills, while the coated inner bag handles the liquid containment requirement
Data Source
AI summary
A container includes: a skeleton shell defining a container body of the container, the skeleton shell being formed from a recycled and/or biodegradable pulp material; and, a bag or liner removably disposed within the skeleton shell. Wherein the skeleton shell includes at least one separation feature that facilitates separation of the skeleton shell from the bag or liner.