Process for forming an insulated container having artwork
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated containers, such as cups, face challenges in achieving a balance between insulative performance, recyclability, high-quality graphics, chemical resistance, puncture resistance, frangibility, microwavability, and resistance to leaching undesirable substances, with many failing to combine these features effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of an insulative cup made from a polypropylene-based cellular non-aromatic polymeric material with a high melt strength, incorporating cell-forming agents like carbon dioxide and nucleating agents, which allows for localized plastic deformation and direct printing of high-resolution graphics, while maintaining insulative characteristics and being recyclable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional insulative materials are used, then insulative performance is achieved, but recyclability and resistance to leaching are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using polypropylene base resin with specific molecular weight distribution (broadly distributed unimodal) and incorporating cell-forming agents to create a cellular structure with controlled density (0.01-0.19 g/cm³). This achieves insulative performance while maintaining recyclability and chemical resistance of the polypropylene material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining polypropylene base resin with cell-forming agents (nucleating agents and blowing agents). This composite structure provides both insulative properties through the cellular architecture and the desirable recyclability/chemical resistance properties of polypropylene, resolving the contradiction between insulation and material safety.
2Strength
If high-density material is used, then strength and puncture resistance are improved, but insulative performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a cellular structure where the cell walls provide localized strength and puncture resistance, while the cellular voids provide insulation. The material has varying density at different scales - dense cell walls for strength, overall low density for insulation - resolving the contradiction between strength and insulative performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous cellular material structure where the cell walls provide mechanical strength and puncture resistance, while the porous structure with controlled density (0.01-0.19 g/cm³) provides thermal insulation. This porous architecture simultaneously achieves both strength and insulative performance.
3Manufacturing precision
If smooth surface is created for high-resolution printing, then graphics quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating the smooth outer surface and cellular internal structure simultaneously during the extrusion process, before the cup is formed. The extrusion process pre-forms both the smooth printing surface and the insulative cellular structure in one operation, avoiding later complex manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the surface formation and insulation structure creation into a single extrusion process. The smooth outer surface for printing and the cellular insulative structure are created together in one manufacturing step, eliminating the need for separate operations and reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If localized plastic deformation is enabled, then adaptability and shaping capability are improved, but material density uniformity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling localized plastic deformation in specific regions of the cup during forming, while maintaining the overall cellular structure and density characteristics. Different regions of the cup can be deformed to different degrees to achieve desired shapes while preserving the insulative properties throughout.
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 provides a cup with enhanced insulative performance, recyclability, puncture resistance, and microwavability, while minimizing leaching and offering a smooth surface for high-resolution graphics, overcoming the limitations of previous designs.
Implementation Method 1
cell-forming agents including primary and secondary nucleating agents and a blowing agent such as carbon dioxide gas that is injected into the resins to expand the resins and reduce density
Implementation Method 2
cell-forming agents including primary and secondary nucleating agents
Data Source
AI summary
A container is formed to include and interior region and a mouth opening into the interior region. The container includes a floor, a side wall coupled to the floor to define the interior region between the floor and the side wall, and artwork on the side wall.