Plastic Container Bottom With Stepped Arch And Radial Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bottle bottoms, especially those with petaloid shapes, require significant material and high blow molding pressure to withstand hydrostatic pressures, and those with radial ribs for flat liquids face reduced mechanical performance due to material savings and excess pressure from inerting processes.
Innovation Solution
A container bottom design featuring a concave arch with radially extending main grooves and reinforcing ribs that form a star-shaped structure, providing enhanced mechanical strength while maintaining blowability, includes features like lateral walls, inward and outward extending ribs, and concentric regions for improved stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If petaloid-shaped bottom is used to withstand hydrostatic pressure, then mechanical strength is improved, but material consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom is segmented into multiple reinforcing grooves that divide the arch into angular sectors, creating a structured framework that distributes mechanical loads more efficiently than a monolithic petaloid shape, thereby reducing the total material needed while maintaining strength
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing ribs are strategically placed at specific locations (at the junction of grooves and sectors) where mechanical stress is highest, providing localized reinforcement rather than uniform thickening throughout the entire bottom structure
2Strength
If radial ribs are added to reinforce the bottom for flat liquids, then mechanical strength is improved, but blow molding complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing ribs are merged with the blow molding process itself, being formed as integral features of the mold cavity rather than added as separate components, thus enhancing strength without increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom maintains a concave arch with curved surfaces that are naturally formed by blow molding, and the reinforcing grooves and ribs follow these curved geometries, allowing the complex strengthened structure to be produced using standard blow molding techniques
3Quantity of substance
If material usage is reduced to meet savings demands, then production cost is improved, but mechanical performance of the bottom deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom structure is segmented into a framework of grooves and ribs that create stiffening elements, allowing material to be removed from non-critical areas while maintaining overall structural integrity through the segmented reinforcement pattern
Solution Approach 2:
Material is concentrated locally at strategic positions where reinforcing ribs are placed to provide maximum mechanical advantage, rather than distributing material uniformly, thus achieving high performance with minimal total material usage
4Reliability
If excess pressure from inerting is introduced, then product shelf life is improved, but stresses on the bottom increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The arch is subdivided into angular sectors by reinforcing grooves, creating multiple load paths that distribute the excess inerting pressure across different structural elements, preventing stress concentration and reducing the risk of deformation
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing ribs are positioned at the junctions between grooves and sectors where stress concentration from inerting pressure is most likely to occur, providing localized reinforcement that counteracts the increased stresses without requiring uniform thickening
Data Source
AI summary
A plastic container (1) is provided with a body (5) and a bottom (6) that extends from a lower end of the body (5), the bottom (6) including: a peripheral base (7) defining a bearing surface (8); a concave arch (10) that extends from a central zone (11) to the base (7); and a series of main reinforcing grooves (13) hollowed into the arch, extending radially from the central zone (11) at least to the base (7) and dividing the arch into a series of angular sectors (15). Where each groove (13) joins each sector (15) of the arch (10) adjacent thereto it is bordered laterally by a reinforcing rib (18) projecting in relation to the sector (15).