Orientation-Controlled Container for Hazardous Material Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing containers fail to maintain items in a specific orientation during storage and transport, leading to potential damage or spillage, especially for hazardous materials like radioactive substances, where orientation is critical to prevent leakage and seal damage.

Innovation Solution

A container design featuring an inner retaining element that can move independently within an outer housing, biased by a mass to maintain the item in a preferred orientation, such as upright, using a centrifugal or gravitational force, to prevent contact with seals and ensure safe transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the container is made gas-tight to prevent leakage, then protection against harmful factors is improved, but gas build-up from radiolysis increases pressure on seals and may lead to leakage when inverted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against leakageVSAvoidpressure on seal

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into an inner container (vial) and an outer container, with the inner container able to rotate independently within the outer container. This segmentation allows the inner container to maintain proper orientation regardless of the outer container's position, preventing seal contact with contents while the outer container provides gas-tight protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner container is designed to rotate dynamically in response to orientation changes or inversion of the outer container. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the inner container's seal never comes into contact with the radioactive contents, even when the outer container is inverted or subjected to pressure build-up from gas generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If markings are provided to indicate correct orientation, then information about proper handling is improved, but handling errors still occur and damage is not detected until use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorientation informationVSAvoidorientation maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The container system is self-correcting through the rotational mechanism of the inner container. Regardless of how the outer container is oriented or handled, the inner container automatically maintains the correct orientation through its ability to rotate independently, eliminating the need for external markings or manual intervention to ensure proper orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If the inner container is fixed in the outer housing, then device complexity is reduced, but orientation control capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer structureVSAvoidorientation control

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If a biasing mass is added to maintain orientation, then orientation control is improved, but container weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorientation maintenanceVSAvoidcontainer weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A biasing mass is attached to the inner container to create a counterbalancing effect that promotes rotation to the correct orientation. When the outer container is inverted or tilted, the biasing mass causes the inner container to rotate away from the seal contact position, using gravitational force to maintain proper orientation without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

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 solution effectively maintains items in a desired orientation, reducing the risk of damage and leakage during transport, while being cost-effective and suitable for reusable or recyclable materials, ensuring the safety and integrity of hazardous materials.

Implementation Method 1

The preferred fixed external orientation is that which aligns with the direction of a centrifugal or gravitation force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitational force: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

The preferred fixed external orientation is that which aligns with the direction of a centrifugal or gravitation force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Data Source

PatentEP3119697B1Controlled orientation containers

Publication Date: 2021.04.28 BTG INT CANADA

Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)

AI summary

The invention provides a packaging unit or a container for transport and/or storage of items that require orientation control, comprising an outer housing element and an inner retaining element, the retaining element being held within the housing element and capable of moving independently of the housing element about at least one axis, the retaining element being adapted to retain the item and comprising a means for biasing the orientation of the inner retaining element with respect to a fixed external orientation.