One-Piece PET Squeezable Container Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional squeezable containers for chilled and frozen products, such as apple compote, are typically two-piece designs that are costly and complex to produce due to their separate bag and cap components.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece squeezable container made from semi-crystalline PET with a wall thickness between 30 μm and 500 μm, optimized for filling volumes between 20 and 100 ml per gram of PET, featuring a unique design that allows for easy deformation and mechanical strength, suitable for products of varying viscosities, and can be shaped to resemble fruits or vegetables for enhanced consumer experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a two-piece design with separate bag and cap components is used, then the container can provide adequate mechanical strength and sealing, but the production cost increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bag body and cap components into a single integrated piece constructed from a single sheet of thermoplastic material. The bag includes a bottom wall, side walls, and a neck portion that integrates the cap structure, eliminating the need for separate components and welding operations. This integration maintains mechanical strength while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and production costs.
2Ease of operation
If the wall thickness is reduced to improve squeezability, then the container becomes more flexible and easier to squeeze, but the mechanical strength and stability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different wall thicknesses to different portions of the bag to optimize both squeezability and mechanical strength. The side walls have a first thickness optimized for flexibility and squeezability, while the bottom wall and neck portion have a greater second thickness to provide adequate mechanical strength and stability. This local variation in thickness allows the container to be easily squeezed while maintaining structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single-piece design is used, then the production cost decreases and manufacturing is simplified, but the mechanical strength and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent successfully merges multiple components into a single integrated structure formed from one continuous sheet of thermoplastic material. The molding process creates a monolithic bag with integrated bottom wall, side walls, and neck portion, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly steps. This single-piece construction reduces production cost while the optimized wall thickness distribution ensures adequate mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses varied wall thicknesses in different regions of the single-piece bag to maintain mechanical strength throughout the structure. Thicker walls at the bottom and neck provide structural support, while thinner walls in the body provide flexibility. This local quality variation allows the single-piece design to achieve both cost efficiency and mechanical integrity.
4Strength
If the wall thickness is increased to improve mechanical strength, then the container becomes more stable and stronger, but the squeezability and flexibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes wall thickness locally rather than uniformly throughout the container. The side walls have a thinner first thickness (30-150 μm) that provides excellent squeezability and flexibility for consumer use. The bottom wall and neck portion have a thicker second thickness (50-500 μm) that provides the mechanical strength and stability needed for handling and stacking. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall strength and localized squeezability.
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 one-piece design reduces production costs and complexity while providing excellent squeezability, stability, and safety, enabling on-the-go consumption of products without a spoon, with the ability to withstand significant vertical and transverse loads, and can be produced using stretch blow molding at lower pressures, reducing equipment costs.
Implementation Method 1
the container according to the invention is further characterized in that the thickness of the wall forming the body of the container is between 30 μm and 500 μm... the plastic used to form the wall or walls is PET (polyethylene terephthalate)... guarantees both the flexibility needed for the aforementioned deformation and sufficient mechanical strength
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a one piece squeezable container for chilled or frozen products comprising a body formed by a wall and closing means, said body having in his greater section a dimension d1 and a neck with an internal diameter d2, a wall thickness comprised between 30 and 500 pm, being made from a semicrystalline PET and wherein the ratio volume of the body of the container per gram of PET of the body is comprised between 20 and 100.