Package Opening Device With Deflectable Sealing Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing opening devices for packages filled with pourable food products often fail to correctly cover the designated pour opening after the initial rupture, leading to potential leakage, and there is a need for an opening device that can be easily molded onto the packaging blank.
Innovation Solution
The opening device features a deflectable sealing ring and a closing element that can be controllably positioned to ensure effective sealing of the pour opening, with the sealing ring designed to facilitate interaction with the collar's inner wall and allow for easy extraction from a mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the closing element is rupturably connected to the collar's inner wall to seal the pour opening, then the package can be sealed prior to first opening, but the closing element may not correctly cover the pour opening after rupture causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The closing element is designed to be movable within the collar, transitioning between a first position (sealing the pour opening) and a second position (allowing product flow). This dynamic positioning enables both reliable initial sealing and proper reclosing functionality after rupture.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element is pre-positioned in the first position during manufacturing to ensure the pour opening is sealed before first opening. The rupturable connection is pre-configured to allow controlled movement to the second position while maintaining the ability to return to the sealing position.
2Ease of manufacture
If the opening device is molded onto the packaging blank, then the package can be formed with integrated opening device, but extraction of the opening device from the mold may be difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The closing element incorporates a flexible membrane that can deform during the molding process. This flexibility allows the element to be compressed and stored within the collar structure during extraction from the mold, significantly facilitating the removal process while maintaining integration with the packaging blank.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element is designed to nest within the collar structure when not in use. The membrane can be folded or compressed to fit within the collar's internal volume, allowing easy extraction from the mold without compromising the integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
There is described an opening device for a package having a designated pour opening. The opening device comprises a base frame, a collar delimiting a flow channel and a closing element configured to cover and/or close the designated pour opening. The closing element comprises a coupling membrane being detachably fixed to an initial contact portion of the collar. The collar comprises an inlet configured to allow for an inlet of the pourable product into the flow channel and a pouring outlet configured to allow for an outpouring of the pourable product from the flow channel. The initial contact portion is interposed between the base frame and the pouring outlet. The collar comprises a main portion comprising the pouring outlet and extending from the initial contact portion to the pouring outlet and a deflectable sealing ring comprising the inlet and extending from the initial contact portion to the inlet.