Polymeric Container Scuff Resistant Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Polymeric containers, such as bottles, suffer from aesthetic damage due to surface contact during processing and reuse, with existing techniques like incorporating additives not fully addressing the issue of preventing wear and marking on contact portions.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric container design featuring a raised surface pattern with protrusions on contact portions, where the protrusions are spaced apart to distribute contact points and reduce friction, thereby minimizing wear and marking when containers rub against each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional smooth contact portions are used on polymeric containers, then the containers can be easily manufactured and processed, but the contact portions suffer from aesthetic damage, wear and marking during processing and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing a raised surface pattern only at the contact portions of the container where aesthetic damage occurs, while the rest of the container maintains a smooth surface. This localized texturing protects the specific areas subject to wear and marking during processing and reuse, without complicating the manufacturing of the entire container.
Solution Approach 2:
The raised surface pattern is incorporated into the contact portions during the initial preform injection molding stage, before the container undergoes processing and reuse cycles. This preliminary action of pre-texturing the surface prevents aesthetic damage from occurring during subsequent handling, processing, and refilling operations.
2Reliability
If additives such as slip agents or anti-static agents are incorporated into the polymeric resin, then some protection against surface contact damage may be achieved, but the aesthetic damage to contact portions continues to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the contact portion surface by creating a raised surface pattern with specific geometric characteristics. This structural modification provides protection against aesthetic damage through mechanical means rather than chemical additives, offering a more effective and simpler solution that does not require complex formulations of slip agents or anti-static agents.
3Reliability
If the raised surface pattern has protrusions spaced close together, then contact points are well distributed to reduce friction, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides that the shortest distance between adjacent protrusions is less than the greatest surface dimension of each protrusion, creating a dense pattern that ensures complete coverage and prevents fitting of similar protrusions from adjacent containers. This excessive action of closely spacing protrusions guarantees effective friction reduction while the molding process naturally achieves the required precision through the defined geometric relationships.
Data Source
AI summary
Polymeric container includes a base defining a support surface and a sidewall extending upwardly from the base. The sidewall has at least a first contact portion extending about a perimeter of the sidewall. The sidewall includes a raised surface pattern at a select area proximate the first contact portion. The raised surface pattern includes a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the sidewall and having an outer surface. Each protrusion is spaced apart from adjacent protrusions within the selected area, and a shortest distance between each protrusion and any of the adjacent protrusions is less than a greatest surface dimension of the outer surface of each protrusion.