Plastic Package Closure with Foldable Portion for Reduced Material Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing package closures made of plastic materials are not efficient in terms of production, user-friendliness, and recycling, and they often require more material than necessary.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for producing a package closure using a mould with movable jaws and tool core parts, allowing for the formation of a cap with a flip-lid and a foldable portion that can be easily attached to a neck, facilitating efficient production and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional package closures are produced using conventional methods, then production is simpler, but manufacturing efficiency and productivity are lower
Solution Approach 1:
The production device is segmented into multiple independent tool core parts (first tool core part, second tool core part, third tool core part) that can be axially displaced relative to each other. This segmentation allows each component to perform specific functions (forming exterior, forming interior, forming foldable portion) independently, enabling complex package closure structures to be produced efficiently through coordinated movement of simpler modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
The production device employs dynamic axial displacement of multiple tool core parts during the molding process. The first tool core part displaces axially to form the exterior, the second tool core part displaces to form the interior, and the third tool core part displaces to form the foldable portion. This dynamic, multi-stage forming process enables high productivity by completing complex forming operations in a single automated cycle rather than requiring multiple separate operations.
2Reliability
If more material is used in package closures, then structural strength and reliability are improved, but material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The package closure utilizes the inherent flexibility of thermoplastic materials to create thin-walled yet reliable structures. The foldable portion is designed to fold upon itself, creating a compact, self-reinforcing structure that maintains structural integrity with minimal material. The sealing ring integrates with the cap wall rather than being a separate thick component, reducing material consumption while maintaining sealing reliability through the flexible plastic material's ability to conform and seal effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable portion is designed to fold into a nested configuration where the folded structure occupies minimal space and reinforces itself through the nesting arrangement. This nested design provides structural strength and reliability for attachment to the package opening while using significantly less material than a rigid, non-folded design would require. The nested foldable portion creates a compact attachment mechanism that is both strong and material-efficient.
3Ease of operation
If package closures are designed with additional features for user-friendliness, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foldable portion serves multiple functions automatically: it provides the opening mechanism for the cap, creates the attachment structure for securing to the package opening, and forms the sealing surface. The inherent flexibility of the material allows the foldable portion to self-adjust and self-seal without requiring additional mechanisms. This self-service design achieves user-friendliness through the material's natural properties rather than complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable portion is designed as a multi-functional element that simultaneously provides: (1) the cap opening mechanism through its foldable nature, (2) the attachment structure for securing to the package opening, and (3) the sealing surface through its integrated sealing ring. This universal design achieves user-friendliness and functional completeness without increasing overall structural complexity, as a single element performs multiple essential functions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enables the production of cost-efficient, user-friendly package closures that are easy to recycle, with reduced material consumption and the ability to be produced with or without a neck.
Implementation Method 1
folding the foldable portion inward to its folded position through an inherent flexibility of the package closure
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a package closure (10) of plastic material by means of a mould comprising movable jaws (35, 36), a counterpart (37), an outer first tool core part (38), an inner second tool core part (39) and an ejector (40), wherein the outer first tool core part, the second tool core part and the ejector are axially displaceable relative each other, comprising the steps of axially displacing the outer first tool core part and the second tool core part in relation to each other in a first direction, thereby disengaging the cap from the outer first tool core part while keeping the inner second tool core part engaged with the cap, and then axially displacing the inner second tool core part and the outer first tool core part and/or the ejector (32) in relation to each other in the first direction or in an opposite second direction while folding a foldable portion (21) of the package closure inward through an inherent flexibility of the package closure (10), Disclosed is also a device for producing the package closure (10) and various embodiments of package closures.