Multilayered Container With Pleated Inner Liner for Airless Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multilayered containers do not effectively maintain the freshness of contents by continuously protecting them from air exposure after the inner package is opened, as they do not consider volume reduction during use.

Innovation Solution

A multilayered container design featuring a vertically foldable inner container with contractable and expandable pleats, equipped with a metal or inorganic layer and an airless discharge mechanism to prevent air from entering, allowing the inner container to shrink and maintain content quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the inner package is shrunk for distribution, then the compactness and space utilization are improved, but once opened the inner package restores to its original state generating internal space, which allows air to enter and compromises content freshness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinner package volumeVSAvoidcontent freshness protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inner container employs a dynamic structure with vertically extending folded pleats that enable the container to change volume continuously. The pleats allow the container to shrink as content is consumed while maintaining structural integrity, preventing air entry and preserving content freshness throughout the usage period rather than restoring to original volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The inner container utilizes a flexible structure with folded pleats that can contract and expand vertically. This flexible design allows the container to adapt its volume to the remaining content amount, continuously maintaining contact with the outer container to prevent air exposure while accommodating the decreasing content volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Strength

If a rigid collapsible liner is used without folds, then the structural integrity and protection from pinholes are improved, but the ability to shrink continuously during use is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidvolume adjustment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The side surface of the inner container is divided into multiple folded pleats that can independently contract and expand. This segmentation allows the container to reduce volume progressively through vertical folding while maintaining overall structural strength and preventing pinhole formation that would compromise integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3808681B1Multilayered container and inner container

Publication Date: 2024.04.03 SHISEIDO CO LTD

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AI summary

A multilayered container (100) includes an inner container configured to contain content, and an outer container (7) configured to accommodate the inner container, wherein the inner container has a side surface formed with a plurality of folded pleats contractable and expandable in a vertical direction, so that the inner container is shrinkable inside the outer container (7), wherein the inner container includes a metal layer or an inorganic layer, and wherein a discharge mechanism (50), configured to discharge the content, and including a mechanism configured to prevent air from entering the inner container when discharging the content, is attached to an upper surface of the inner container.