Resilient Plunger Skirt for Damage-Free Container Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for positioning and attaching container elements in paperboard packaging containers often result in damage to the container body due to the rigidity of the container elements and the lack of precise alignment, leading to inefficiencies in the packaging process.
Innovation Solution
A positioning unit comprising a base plate with a resiliently deformable plunger skirt that transforms from an unexpanded to an expanded state, allowing for precise placement and attachment of container elements without damaging the container body, utilizing a combination of pistons to change the shape of the plunger skirt and apply pressure for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid container elements are used for positioning and attaching in paperboard packaging containers, then structural strength and stability are improved, but damage to the container body occurs due to lack of precision and rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible plunger skirt made of elastomeric material that can deform elastically during insertion and attachment operations. This flexible component replaces rigid positioning structures, allowing it to conform to the container body's inner surface without causing damage, while still providing sufficient structural support for secure attachment of container elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger skirt's physical state is changed from a compressed transport configuration to an expanded working configuration through controlled deformation. This parameter change allows the same component to provide both compact storage during transport and sufficient expansion force for secure attachment, eliminating the need for separate rigid positioning and attachment tools.
2Strength
If rigid positioning structures are used to attach container elements, then attachment strength is improved, but precision and alignment are reduced leading to inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric plunger skirt provides inherent compliance that allows it to self-align with the container body's positioning features. The material's elasticity enables gradual deformation during insertion, ensuring precise alignment before final attachment, thereby combining high attachment strength with manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger skirt transitions from a static, rigid structure to a dynamic, deformable component during the attachment process. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to adapt its shape in real-time to achieve precise alignment, then maintain stable attachment once positioned, resolving the contradiction between strength and precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If a resiliently deformable plunger skirt is used for positioning, then precision and protection of container body are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger skirt is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides positioning, alignment, and attachment functions. This single elastomeric structure replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate rigid components (positioning pins, alignment guides, and attachment mechanisms), thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the positioning and attachment functions into a single integrated plunger skirt component. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate positioning structures and attachment mechanisms, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the overall device while preserving precise positioning capabilities through the elastomeric material's deformability.
4Manufacturing precision
If the plunger skirt is kept in expanded state for positioning, then attachment precision is improved, but transport efficiency is reduced due to increased volume
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger skirt is designed to dynamically change its configuration between a compact compressed state for efficient transport and storage, and an expanded state for precise positioning and attachment operations. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to optimize for different operational phases, maintaining high attachment precision while maximizing transport efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger skirt can be compressed into a compact form that nests within the attachment device during transport, minimizing the overall volume occupied. When needed for operation, it expands to its full functional size for precise positioning. This nesting capability allows the high-precision component to be efficiently stored and transported without requiring excessive space.
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 solution enables efficient and damage-free positioning and attachment of container elements, enhancing the packaging process by reducing wear on the container body and improving the sealing integrity between the container elements and the container body.
Implementation Method 1
a resiliently deformable plunger skirt transformable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state
Implementation Method 2
pressing an edge portion of the container element in a direction towards an inner wall of the container body
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a positioning unit for positioning a container element in a container body, comprising a base plate of a rigid material, and a plunger skirt of a resiliently deformable material. A footprint surface of the base plate has a circumferential edge with a side edge portion comprising an inwardly curved segment. The plunger skirt is transformable between an unexpanded state and an expanded state by relative movement in relation to the base plate.The disclosure further relates to an attachment unit for attaching a container element to a container body and to an apparatus for attaching container elements to container bodies in a flow of containers. In addition, the disclosure relates to a method of positioning a container element in a container body by means of the positioning unit.