Nested Container With Microsuction Seal for Freshness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for aerosol generating articles and consumer goods fail to effectively preserve the original properties such as moisture content, flavor, or freshness until access, and often require complex opening mechanisms that can be unattractive when partially used.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring an outer housing with a top wall access opening and inner packages having recessed bases and cover members that form sealed enclosures, allowing for easy access and removal of goods without fully separating from the outer housing, utilizing a microsuction closure mechanism and lines of weakness for easy opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed enclosure is used to preserve consumer goods, then product freshness and original properties are maintained, but access to the goods becomes difficult without compromising the seal
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into an outer housing and an inner package that can be separated. The inner package containing the consumer good can be removed from the outer housing through the access opening, allowing the seal to be broken only when needed while maintaining protection during transport and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner package is nested within the outer housing, with the inner package having its own sealed enclosure (recessed base and cover member). This nested structure allows the inner package to be accessed and removed independently while the outer housing remains intact for continued protection of any remaining goods.
2Ease of operation
If the inner package is fully separable from the outer housing, then easy access is achieved, but the packaging becomes unattractive when partially used and difficult to reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The separation is segmented such that only the inner package (containing the good) is removed, not the entire container. The outer housing with its access opening remains intact and can be reused for storing additional items, maintaining aesthetic appearance even when partially used.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner package is designed to be removed and discarded after use, while the outer housing is recovered and can be reused for continued storage. This selective discarding approach maintains the value and appearance of the remaining container structure.
3Shape
If a complex opening mechanism is used to maintain aesthetics, then appearance is preserved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The complexity of complex opening mechanisms is extracted and replaced by a simple access opening in the outer housing. The inner package can be easily removed through this opening without requiring complex mechanisms, while the outer housing maintains its aesthetic appearance when closed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex mechanism to open the outer housing, the design inverts the approach by providing a simple access opening and using an inner package that can be easily removed. The aesthetic closure is maintained by the removable inner package rather than a complex opening mechanism on the outer housing.
4Ease of operation
If the entire container is opened for access, then all goods are accessible, but product freshness of remaining goods is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The container system is segmented into an outer housing and an inner package. Only the inner package containing the specific good to be accessed needs to be removed, while the outer housing with its closure mechanism remains intact to protect any remaining goods, thereby maintaining freshness without requiring full container opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested structure allows the inner package to be independently accessed and removed from the outer housing. This enables selective access to individual goods while the outer housing maintains its protective enclosure for any remaining items, preserving freshness without requiring the entire container to be opened.
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 container effectively preserves consumer goods by allowing controlled access and re-use of the inner package, maintaining product freshness and enabling easy stacking and transportation while providing a practical and aesthetically appealing packaging solution.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a microsuction closure mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
The container includes an outer housing with a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The top wall defines an access opening for providing access to the interior of the outer housing. An inner package is disposed within the outer housing, and includes a recessed base and a cover member overlying the recessed base, which together form a sealed enclosure for one or more consumer goods. The inner package is held in a fixed position within the outer housing such that a first portion of the inner package underlies the top wall and a first portion of the cover member underlies and is exposed by the access opening. The first portion of the cover member is separable from the remainder of the inner package to allow removal of consumer goods.