PET Bottle with V-Groove for Pressure Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible plastic containers, particularly those made of PET, face challenges in maintaining stability during hot filling processes due to thin walls, which can lead to collapse or deformation under temperature variations, and require additional structural reinforcement or nitrogen counterpressure, increasing manufacturing costs and material usage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible thermoplastic container design featuring a V-shaped peripheral groove with specific slope angles and lengths, allowing axial compression to reduce internal volume and height, enabling recovery of the original shape with an external traction force, without the need for reinforced vacuum panels or nitrogen, thus enhancing stability during hot, warm, and cold filling processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If vacuum balancing panels are introduced to resist shrinkage, then the strength and stability of the bottle are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional structural reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The bottle body is divided into multiple sections with different wall thicknesses. The lower portion has greater thickness to resist external atmospheric pressure, while the upper portion has reduced thickness. This segmentation allows the structure to withstand pressure variations without requiring additional vacuum balancing panels, thus maintaining strength while reducing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bottle are given different structural properties tailored to their specific functional requirements. The base and lower body have reinforced thickness for pressure resistance, while the upper body and neck have optimized thickness for their specific roles. This local differentiation eliminates the need for uniform structural reinforcement throughout the entire bottle.
2Weight of moving object
If the amount of PET material is reduced to lighten the container, then the weight is improved, but the fragility increases making the container more sensitive to temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The container wall is segmented into zones with different thicknesses. Critical areas such as the base and lower body maintain sufficient thickness for temperature and pressure resistance, while non-critical areas use reduced thickness to minimize weight. This allows the container to be lightweight overall while maintaining reliability where it matters most.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness is locally optimized based on the specific functional requirements of each region. Areas subject to higher thermal stress or pressure have greater thickness, while areas with lower demands have thinner walls. This local quality approach ensures temperature resistance is maintained in critical zones without unnecessarily increasing overall weight.
3Stability of the object's composition
If vertical ribs and horizontal ribs are added to reinforce the structure, then the stiffness of the bottle is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding multiple separate reinforcement elements (vertical and horizontal ribs), the solution segments the wall thickness itself to provide structural support. The varied thickness distribution creates inherent stiffness in critical areas without requiring additional rib structures, thereby maintaining stability while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement function traditionally achieved by adding separate rib structures is extracted and integrated directly into the wall thickness design. The thickness variation itself provides the stiffening effect, eliminating the need for additional rib elements and their associated manufacturing complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If an accordion or bellows type structure is used for collapsible containers, then the collapse capability is improved, but the stability under compressive load deteriorates making it unsuitable for hot filling
Solution Approach 1:
The container body is segmented into sections with varying wall thicknesses that provide structural support during compression. This segmentation creates a gradient of stiffness that allows the container to collapse in a controlled manner during normal use while maintaining sufficient stability to withstand compressive loads during hot filling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the container have locally optimized thickness to balance collapse capability and compressive stability. The lower portion has greater thickness for stability during hot filling, while the upper portion has reduced thickness to facilitate controlled collapse during normal use. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between collapse capability and compressive load stability.
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 maintains stability and structural integrity by reducing internal volume through controlled axial compression, allowing it to withstand pressure variations and temperature changes, while avoiding increased plastic usage or nitrogen addition, thus optimizing manufacturing costs and performance.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling of the liquid creates a drop in the internal pressure which can cause a shrinking of the bottle. The cooling causes a slight decrease in the volume of the liquid along with a reduction of the gaseous phase saturation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bottle made of PET which can be filled with a hot, warm or cold liquid has a neck, a body and a closed bottom. The body has a peripheral groove for pressure relief capable of collapsing in a controlled manner under the bias of an externally applied vertical axial load. The structure of the groove is such that after collapsing the bottle will not be able to resume its original shape unless it is subjected to the application of another external force of sufficient strength in reverse direction with respect to the force which was applied to obtain the collapsed shape.