Paper Cup Flange Design for Stable Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cup designs face challenges with the tightness of the frame, complexity in attaching an outer shell, and limitations in stacking and design flexibility due to the requirement of an outer jacket, which affects stability and manufacturing ease.
Innovation Solution
A cup design featuring a conical shell and base with a widened frame that forms a standing surface, allowing for improved stability and ease of attachment without an outer shell, and incorporating a means for holding another cup during stacking, enabling secure stacking and unstacking without an outer jacket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the outer shell is attached to the rim by folding it inwards, then the outer shell can be secured to the cup, but the attachment process becomes very time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The rim is divided into multiple segments or sections that can be independently folded and attached. This segmentation allows the outer shell to be secured in smaller, more manageable steps rather than requiring a single time-consuming folding operation across the entire rim circumference.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer shell is pre-formed with predetermined fold lines and attachment features before being mounted on the cup. This preliminary preparation of the outer shell structure enables faster attachment during assembly, as the folding and securing operations are already partially completed in the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If the outer shell completely encloses the rim, then the rim is protected and not visible from outside, but counter-pressure from outside cannot be applied during sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell encloses only a portion of the rim rather than completely enclosing it. This partial enclosure provides sufficient protection and aesthetic coverage while leaving portions of the rim accessible for applying counter-pressure during the sealing process, thus maintaining both seal integrity and manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary structure or tool is introduced during the sealing process that provides the necessary counter-pressure from the outside. This intermediary element temporarily supports the sealing operation without requiring complete enclosure of the rim by the outer shell, allowing proper sealing while maintaining manufacturing ease.
3Reliability
If the rim is pressed down from inside with high force to attach the outer shell, then the attachment may be adequate, but the rim can crack
Solution Approach 1:
Counter-pressure is applied from the outside of the rim during the attachment process to balance the pressing force applied from inside. This counterweight force prevents excessive stress concentration that would cause rim cracking, while still enabling adequate attachment of the outer shell through the balanced pressure distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment process uses dynamic, progressive pressing rather than a single static high-force application. The pressing force is applied incrementally and distributed across different sections of the rim in sequence, allowing the rim material to deform and adapt without exceeding its stress tolerance, thus preventing cracks while achieving secure attachment.
4Ease of manufacture
If heat sealing is used to join the outer shell, then the seal between base and inner shell can be compromised, but no counter-pressure can be exerted from outside when sealing
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary support structure or tool is introduced during heat sealing that provides the necessary counter-pressure from the outside. This intermediary element temporarily maintains the seal between the base and inner shell during the heat sealing process, compensating for the lack of natural counter-pressure when the outer shell is tucked inward.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing surfaces are pre-prepared and positioned with preliminary clamping or support before heat sealing begins. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and maintains seal integrity during the heat sealing process, preventing compromise of the base-inner shell seal even when outer shell counter-pressure is limited.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A cup (1) made of a paper material with a fillable interior (5) is described, formed by a conical shell (2) and a base (3). The base (3) is attached to the shell (2) at the lower end of the interior (5) by a flange (4) in a substantially liquid-tight manner. The shell (2) and/or the base (3) in the area of the flange (4) and/or the flange (4) itself has an outwardly projecting extension (10) at least in one region along its circumference. A lower rim (14) of the extension (10) forms a base for the cup (1). The extension (10) can serve as a means for holding another cup (1) of the same type, which can interact when the cup (1) is stacked with another cup (1) of the same type. The cup (1) can have a heat-insulating outer shell (17).