Piercing Opening Pocket Structure for Leak-Safe Drink Pouches

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Solution Overview

Problem

Beverage containers with puncture openings for drinking straws often experience liquid leakage due to pressure, and there is a risk of the container being pierced on the opposite side, while also needing to be environmentally friendly.

Innovation Solution

A beverage container with a puncture opening that includes a sealing film welded around the puncture site, forming a pocket between the inner and outer weld edges, allowing for controlled insertion and piercing of the straw without leaking, using a thinner or differently structured sealing film that can be pierced more easily than the container material.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If pressure is applied to puncture the beverage container, then the drinking straw can be inserted, but liquid leaks out and the opposite side may be pierced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepuncture insertionVSAvoidleak prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A pocket is formed in the beverage container wall at the puncture location, creating a recessed area that guides the drinking straw insertion. This preliminary structural preparation ensures the straw follows the correct path through the container wall, preventing it from piercing through to the opposite side while still allowing effective puncture and insertion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If a thick sealing film is used to prevent piercing through, then the opposite side is protected, but the puncture becomes more difficult and may cause leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiercing resistanceVSAvoidpuncture ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing film is designed with different properties at different locations: it has sufficient thickness and strength in areas away from the puncture opening to prevent piercing through to the opposite side, while the pocket structure at the puncture location provides a controlled path that reduces the effective resistance during insertion, allowing easy puncture without compromising overall strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If additional sealing materials are applied from the outside, then sealing is improved, but environmental friendliness and simplicity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing qualityVSAvoidmaterial layers
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pocket structure is formed as an integral part of the beverage container wall itself, using the existing material rather than requiring additional sealing layers or external materials. This self-service approach provides effective sealing and guidance functionality while maintaining environmental friendliness and structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2882663B1Drinks container with improved piercing characteristics
Publication Date: 2016.04.27 DEUTSCHE SISI-WERKE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2882663B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3b

AI summary

Beverage container (1), in particular beverage pouch, which is provided with a piercing opening (2) for piercing with a drinking straw (5), in which beverage container (1) the piercing opening (2) is stamped and, on the inside, an outwardly exposed closure foil is fastened to the inner side around the piercing opening (2) by means of a welded joint (7), with the result that a sealed closure is produced, characterized in that a pocket (6) is formed between the inner welded edge (3) of the welded joint (7) and the lower edge (2b) of the piercing opening (2), in which pocket (6) the material of the beverage container (1) and the closure foil are not connected to one another.