Reusable Refill Adapter With Air Exchange Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refill container adapters are complex to manufacture, resource-intensive, and often cannot be reused, leading to inefficiencies in refilling processes, particularly when not all contents can be dispensed due to airtight closures that prevent complete emptying.
Innovation Solution
An adapter with a connection element and filling element, featuring webs that form ribs to create an opening for air exchange and a break-open element for easy refilling, allowing for multiple uses and efficient refilling without requiring a separate closure, and can be produced from materials like PET or PP.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a special closure with a breakable wall is used to connect the refill container to the original container, then the containers can be connected securely, but the closure is complex to manufacture, uses a lot of material, and can only be used once
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into separate functional elements: a connecting element with connecting ribs for the original container, and a filling element with filling ribs for the refill container. These segmented components are simpler to manufacture than a single complex closure while maintaining secure connection through the rib structures that engage with corresponding grooves on both containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves multiple functions: it connects the original container to the refill container, provides an opening for liquid flow, enables air exchange through gaps between ribs, and can be reused multiple times. This multi-functionality replaces the single-use breakable closure with a versatile reusable component.
2Reliability
If a special closure is used to connect the refill container, then the containers can be sealed, but it is not possible to completely empty the refill container
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter acts as an intermediary component between the refill container and original container. It provides a controlled connection that allows liquid to flow completely from the refill container while maintaining the necessary sealing through the rib-groove engagement, eliminating the residue problem associated with breakable closures.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter enables dynamic liquid flow during refilling while maintaining static sealing through the rib structures. The design allows the system to transition from a sealed state to an open flow state and back again, enabling complete emptying while preserving sealing capability for subsequent uses.
3Ease of manufacture
If refill containers are made of thin materials for single use, then resources are conserved in manufacturing, but they cannot be reused even if not completely empty
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter enables the thin-walled refill container to serve itself multiple times by providing a durable connection interface. The adapter's rib structures engage with the refill container's pouring opening, allowing the same thin-walled container to be refilled and reused without requiring the container itself to be robust, thus combining manufacturing simplicity with reusability.
4Reliability
If an airtight closure is used to prevent pressure issues, then pressure stability is maintained, but air exchange is prevented causing negative or positive pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter implements different local qualities in different areas: the connecting ribs and filling ribs provide localized sealing at their engagement points with the containers, while the gaps between the ribs provide localized air exchange pathways. This spatial differentiation of sealing and ventilation functions resolves the contradiction between pressure stability and air exchange.
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 adapter facilitates easy, resource-efficient refilling by allowing complete emptying of refill containers, maintaining stability, and enabling air exchange to prevent pressure issues, thus conserving resources and simplifying the refilling process.
Implementation Method 1
The formation or design of an opening between the filling element and the connecting element ensures that an exchange of air can take place between the interior of the respective containers and their surroundings, in such a way that negative pressures or positive pressures in the containers can be compensated.
Data Source
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AI summary
An adapter (100) for connecting a refill container (200) to a container (300) during a refilling process is disclosed. The adapter (100) has a connection element (1) for operative connection with a pouring opening (301) of the container (300) and a filling element (2) for operative connection with a pouring opening (201) of the refill container (200). The connection element (1) and the filling element (2) are connected to each other by a connecting element (3) such that an opening (4) is formed between the connection element (1) and the filling element (2).