Plastic Container Flange Design for Material Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Generic containers require significant plastic material for production, leading to high costs and ecological concerns, while needing to maintain strength and functionality for storing liquid products and withstanding automatic filling and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a one-piece plastic element with a closed, flat extension from the base to the side wall, eliminating the need for a peripheral apron and incorporating a flange for stability, along with a latching system for secure lid attachment, to reduce material usage while ensuring strength and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a peripheral apron with stabilizing webs is added to the side wall to ensure sufficient rigidity and protect against lid detachment, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the quantity of plastic material increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the peripheral apron with stabilizing webs from the container design. Instead of adding this material-intensive structure, the patent relies on the inherent strength of the injection-molded container wall and the geometric design of the latching device to provide sufficient rigidity and lid protection, thereby eliminating unnecessary plastic material consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the design parameters by positioning the latching device at a specific distance from the container opening (between 5-50% of the height from the base) and optimizing the wall thickness and geometric shape of the container. This parameter optimization allows the container to achieve sufficient structural strength without requiring the additional peripheral apron structure
2Device complexity
If the latching device is positioned close to the container opening to simplify the structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of preventing unintentional lid detachment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention moves the latching device from the traditional position at the container opening to a new vertical dimension - positioned at a distance of 5-50% of the height from the base. This dimensional repositioning allows the latching device to engage with the container wall at an optimal point that provides both structural leverage for secure attachment and sufficient distance from the opening to prevent accidental detachment, while maintaining geometric simplicity
3Strength
If the side wall is made thicker and stiffer to withstand automatic filling and transportation, then the strength is improved, but the quantity of plastic material increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by optimizing the wall thickness distribution - the container wall is made sufficiently thick at critical locations (where the latching device engages and at the base) to withstand filling and transportation forces, while avoiding uniform thickening throughout the entire structure. This localized strengthening achieves the required mechanical strength with minimal additional material
Solution Approach 2:
The injection molding process is designed to create the container with pre-optimized wall thickness and geometric reinforcement at critical areas before the container is put into service. This preliminary structuring during manufacturing ensures the container has sufficient strength to withstand automatic filling and transportation without requiring additional material or post-processing reinforcement
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4a
Figure 4b~4c
AI summary
The invention relates to a container 1 for storing products, wherein the container 1 has a horizontally extending container base 3 and a side wall 4 extending vertically from the container base 3 over the height of a side wall. The side wall 4 forms a container opening and a locking device 43 at its upper end, which corresponds to a locking device 23 provided on a lid 2, wherein the container 1 encompasses the lid 2 and the lid 2 is held securely and releasably on the side wall 4 in an operating position by the interaction of the locking device 23 and the locking device 43, and closes the container opening.A flange 5 is provided on the horizontal outer side of the side wall 4, which is vertically spaced at least 5% of the side wall height from the upper end of the side wall 4 and at least 50% of the side wall height from the bottom of the container 3, wherein the bottom of the container 3 and the side wall 4 are formed by a one-piece plastic element having a closed planar extension that encompasses the bottom of the container 3 and extends upwards from the bottom of the container 3 and terminates at the upper end of the side wall 4.