Pre-formed Sealing Insert for Plastic Ampoule Neck
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers with thermoplastic materials fail to ensure a secure and reliable seal between the neck part and the insert, leading to potential leakage or microbiological contamination, especially under stress conditions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sealing element formed as a molded part of the insert, which creates a welded sealing connection with the neck part, utilizing a tapered ring and axially protruding structural parts for enhanced sealing and support, and surface irregularities for positive locking, ensuring secure attachment and resistance to axial forces and torques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple integral molding of the neck part to the insert is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the seal reliability is insufficient under stress conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing structure is segmented into distinct functional elements: a sealing element (such as a sealing ring or protrusion) on the insert, a corresponding sealing seat on the neck part, and a welded connection region. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall seal reliability under stress conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element and sealing seat are pre-formed during the insert molding process before the final assembly with the neck part. This preliminary formation ensures that the sealing surfaces are precisely prepared in advance, enabling reliable sealing when the neck part is subsequently molded onto the insert under stress conditions.
2Reliability
If a separate sealing element is added to ensure reliable sealing, then the seal reliability improves, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is merged with the insert as an integrated component, formed during the same molding process. This combination eliminates the need for separate sealing elements and additional assembly steps, thereby maintaining high seal reliability while improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert serves multiple functions: it contains the product, provides the delivery mechanism, and incorporates the sealing element. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring reliable sealing between the insert and neck part.
3Manufacturing precision
If the neck part is molded with high precision to ensure sealing, then the seal quality improves, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
High molding precision is applied locally only to the sealing critical regions (sealing element and sealing seat interfaces), while other parts of the neck part and insert can be molded with standard precision. This localized approach ensures adequate seal quality without requiring excessive precision throughout the entire molding process, thereby controlling manufacturing complexity.
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 reliable, cost-effective, and efficient sealing mechanism that prevents leakage and contamination, ensuring the container's integrity during use, particularly for medical, cosmetic, and industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
a molded part forming the sealing element adjoins the end of the peripheral region facing the contact surface of the seat. At the peripheral region, the neck part is formed onto the insert
Data Source
AI summary
A container, in particular a plastic ampoule produced using a blow molding process, and filled and closed in the production mold, has a sleeve-shaped neck part (4) connected to a container body (2) as an axial extension. The neck part forms a seat (6) for a preformed insert (8) extending along the axis (12) of the neck part (4), and is formed in the production mold, on a peripheral region (14) of the insert (8). At least one sealing element (42; 68) is provided on the insert (8). The sealing element forms a seal in a sealing region surrounding the axis (12), in combination with a contact surface (38) formed on the seat (6) of the neck part (4).