Liquid-Permeable Packing Container for Viscous Content Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plastic containers for viscous contents like ketchup and mayonnaise do not adequately address the issue of slipping property and non-adhering properties, with existing solutions limited by the types of thermoplastic resins and additives used, and physical surface treatments failing to maintain effective slipping properties due to water condensation on rugged surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A packing container with a liquid-permeable surface formed on the inner surface, holding a lubricating liquid with no affinity for the content, featuring fine protuberances and a mean square surface roughness of 60 nm to 300 nm, which enhances the slipping property by creating a capillary phenomenon that dominates over gravity, allowing for efficient discharge without adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a finely rugged surface is formed on the inner surface to improve slipping property, then adhesion of aqueous content is restrained, but water condenses in the dents of the rugged surface causing decreased slipping property
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hydrophobic liquid as an intermediary substance that fills the dents of the finely rugged surface. This liquid mediator prevents water condensation by creating a hydrophobic barrier, while maintaining the capillary phenomenon that enables excellent slipping property. The liquid intermediary resolves the contradiction by blocking the harmful water condensation effect while preserving the beneficial roughness-induced slipping effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the surface by introducing a liquid phase (hydrophobic liquid) into the dents, transforming the surface from a dry rugged structure to a liquid-filled rugged structure. This parameter change (from solid-air interface to solid-liquid interface) fundamentally alters the surface properties to prevent water condensation while maintaining slipping performance.
2Reliability
If chemical compositions of thermoplastic resins and additives are used to improve slipping property, then some improvement is achieved, but limitation is imposed on the kinds of resins and additives preventing striking improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical approach (using lubricating additives blended in resin) with a physical approach (forming a finely rugged surface structure). This substitution eliminates the limitations of chemical compositions by using a purely physical surface structure combined with a hydrophobic liquid, allowing much broader material selection without being constrained by resin-additive compatibility issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a porous or rugged surface structure with specific dent dimensions (depth 1-10 μm, diameter 0.1-10 μm) to create capillary phenomena. This porous structure approach replaces the need for chemical lubricants, enabling the use of various thermoplastic resins without being limited by additive selection, while achieving superior slipping property through the physical capillary effect.
3Reliability
If a liquid-permeable surface holding lubricating liquid is formed, then slipping property is improved by tens to hundreds of times, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms the liquid-permeable surface as a thin film coating on the inner surface of the container. This thin film structure, containing the hydrophobic liquid within its porous matrix, adds minimal structural complexity while delivering the dramatic slipping property improvement. The flexible thin film approach maintains manufacturing feasibility despite the enhanced functionality.
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 achieves significantly improved slipping and non-adhering properties, allowing viscous contents to be quickly discharged and preventing adhesion, with the lubricating liquid interface improving discharge speed by tens to hundreds of times compared to traditional solid-liquid interfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid-permeable surface which holds a liquid different from the content... a liquid layer which holds a lubricating liquid... the capillary phenomenon becomes dominant over the gravity
Implementation Method 2
water-repellent property (hydrophobic property)... The lubricating liquid has no affinity for the content... the lubricating liquid interface improving discharge speed
Data Source
AI summary
A packing container featuring markedly improved slipping property and non-adhering property for its contents. In the packing container filled with a content (7), at least part of the surface that comes in contact with the content (7) is a liquid-permeable surface (1) which holds a lubricating liquid (5) different from the content (7).