Pharmaceutical Glass Container Neck Slope for Capping Stress
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pharmaceutical container capping technologies often result in defects due to uneven stress distribution during crimping, leading to potential container failure and contamination of the contents.
Innovation Solution
The design of a pharmaceutical container with a glass body featuring a sloped outer surface in the neck region, which reduces contact points with capping tools and distributes force more evenly, combined with a lubricous coating to minimize damage and facilitate defect detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If common capping configurations are used for containers of different sizes, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but capping stresses become uneven leading to defects and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by modifying the outer surface geometry of the neck at specific locations to create sloped portions. This localized geometric change ensures uniform stress distribution during crimping without requiring changes to the overall capping tool configuration or process, thereby improving container integrity while maintaining device simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the neck's outer surface by introducing sloped portions with specific angles and dimensions. This parameter modification optimizes the contact interface during crimping, distributing capping stresses evenly across the flange and preventing defects, thus enhancing reliability without increasing device complexity
2Reliability
If the outer surface of the neck is modified with sloped portions, then capping stress distribution is improved and defects are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise geometric parameters for the sloped portions including angle ranges (e.g., 10-45 degrees), radial distances (e.g., 0.1-0.5mm inward extension), and axial positions. These controlled parameter changes achieve uniform stress distribution while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing tolerances, balancing reliability improvement with manufacturing feasibility
3Reliability
If the outer surface extends inward toward the central axis, then contact points with capping tools are reduced and force distribution is improved, but wall thickness varies within the neck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating sloped portions only in specific regions of the neck's outer surface, rather than uniformly modifying the entire neck geometry. The inner surface remains substantially parallel to the central axis, maintaining consistent wall thickness in critical areas, while the localized outer surface modification optimizes stress distribution and contact characteristics during crimping
Data Source
AI summary
A pharmaceutical container comprises a glass body enclosing an interior volume of the pharmaceutical container. The glass body comprises a central axis extending through a geometric center of the interior volume, a wall thickness extending between an inner surface and an outer surface, a flange comprising an underside surface, a shoulder, and a neck extending between the flange and the shoulder. Within at least a portion of the neck, the outer surface extends inward toward the central axis such that at least a sloped portion of the outer surface is sloped inward towards the central axis adjacent the flange.