Recloseable Aperture Cover for Well Plate Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container sealing solutions for small volumes of liquids used in chemical analysis are inadequate as they either damage glass capillaries or contaminate the liquid during sampling, and fail to prevent evaporation effectively due to direct air exposure.
Innovation Solution
A cover comprising two layered foil structures with recloseable apertures, such as flaps or butterfly valves, that allow easy access for pipettes or glass capillaries while minimizing air exposure and evaporation, using structures like U-shaped cuts or cross-shaped cuts with bending axes to ensure airtight sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover is made airtight to prevent evaporation, then liquid protection is improved, but access for sampling becomes difficult and may damage glass capillaries
Solution Approach 1:
The cover incorporates a recloseable aperture with a movable closure element (such as a button, lever, or flap) that can dynamically transition between closed and open states. This allows the cover to maintain airtight sealing during storage while enabling easy access for sampling when needed, resolving the contradiction between protection and accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is divided into separate functional zones: a sealed body portion and a separate aperture closure mechanism. This segmentation allows the main cover structure to remain airtight while the aperture closure can be independently operated to provide access for sampling without compromising the overall sealing integrity
2Ease of operation
If a hole is made in the cover for sampling, then access for liquid retrieval is improved, but liquid evaporation increases due to remaining opening
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture closure element is designed to dynamically close the opening after sampling is complete. The movable closure (button, lever, or flap) returns to its closed position, restoring the airtight seal and preventing evaporation, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and loss prevention
3Reliability
If a rigid seal is used to prevent evaporation, then sealing performance is improved, but the structure becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The cover employs flexible sealing elements such as elastomeric gaskets, silicone rings, or flexible flaps that can deform to accommodate the aperture closure mechanism. These flexible seals maintain effective sealing performance while simplifying the overall structure and enabling easier operation compared to rigid sealing systems
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture closure element acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the sealed container. This intermediate component (button, lever, or flap) simplifies the interaction by providing a user-friendly interface to open and close the aperture, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining sealing reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A cover for sealing a container and preferably containers for a well plate. The cover is comprised of at least a top layer and a bottom layer structured in a way to form a recloseable aperture. Preferably, each of the layers comprise a recloseable aperture structured as flap, damper, baffle or butterfly valve respectively, wherein the recloseable apertures are arranged on top of each other. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a third moveable layer is arranged between the top and the bottom layer. By moving the middle layer, the aperture in the cover can be closed.