PET Container Shoulder Ribs for Top Load Strength
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Large format polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers are financially uncompetitive due to their weight, which is necessary for withstanding distribution and filling stresses, and reducing material leads to structural weakness, while tall, steeply sloping shoulders increase costs and reduce shipping efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating ribs in the shoulder region that connect to vertical ribs on the sidewalls to transfer loads and provide additional structural support, maintaining container size while enhancing resistance to stresses, with shoulder ribs transforming from outward to inward facing and smaller ribs adding stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the amount of material used in the container is reduced to decrease weight, then weight is improved, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure is segmented into multiple functional components: shoulder ribs extending from the neck region, vertical ribs running down the sidewalls, and smaller stabilizing ribs. This segmentation allows each rib element to bear specific loads, enabling the use of less material overall while maintaining structural strength through optimized load distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcement is applied locally where stresses are highest - at the shoulder region and along vertical load paths - rather than uniformly throughout the entire container. The shoulder ribs and vertical ribs are strategically positioned to provide strength exactly where needed, allowing material reduction in less critical areas.
2Strength
If tall, steeply sloping shoulders are used to meet stress constraints, then structural strength is improved, but container height increases reducing shipping efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing strength by extending the shoulder slope vertically (one dimension), the invention adds rib structures that extend vertically along the sidewalls (another dimension). This dimensional shift allows the container to maintain a compact height while achieving the required stress resistance through the vertical rib reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The shoulder region is segmented into multiple rib elements rather than relying on a single tall, sloping structure. This segmentation allows the strength function to be distributed across multiple smaller vertical elements, maintaining stress resistance without requiring increased overall container height.
3Strength
If heavy containers are used to withstand distribution and filling stresses, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases reducing financial competitiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs local quality by concentrating reinforcement only in the shoulder and vertical regions where stresses occur during filling and distribution. The rest of the container body uses lighter wall construction, achieving the necessary stress withstand capability without the penalty of uniform heavy construction throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural reinforcement is segmented into discrete rib elements rather than using a continuous heavy wall structure. This segmentation allows the container to achieve required strength through strategic placement of rib elements, significantly reducing overall weight compared to traditional heavy container designs.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a blow molded container including a bottom, four sidewalls extending upward from the bottom to a shoulder region, a neck disposed on the shoulder region and defining an opening at the top of the container, and vertical ribs extending from the shoulder region to the bottom along the sidewalls. The shoulder region includes shoulder ribs and a shoulder base portion, the shoulder ribs formed of should rib walls extending upward from the shoulder base portion and a shoulder rib top portion extending between shoulder rib walls to form an upper part of the shoulder ribs. Each shoulder rib extends from the neck to an upper part of a corresponding vertical rib to provide improved top load resistance at the top and neck of the container.