Refillable Oral Product Container With Isolated Used-Pouch Compartment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing single-use packaging for nicotine pouches poses environmental concerns and is costly, while reusable packaging solutions face hygiene and health safety issues, necessitating improved refillable containers with reduced environmental impact and enhanced safety features.
Innovation Solution
A refillable container design featuring a rigid cup-shaped refill unit with a concave portion forming a compartment, separate lids for fresh and used products, and eco-friendly materials to ensure hygiene and sustainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If single-use packaging is used for nicotine pouches, then hygiene and health safety are maintained, but environmental impact increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is divided into two separate components: a reusable outer container and disposable inner pouches. This segmentation allows the container to be cleaned and reused multiple times while the inner pouches are discarded after single use, thus maintaining hygiene standards while reducing overall environmental impact compared to completely single-use packaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables recovery and reuse of the outer container through proper cleaning protocols, while only the inner pouches are discarded. This selective discarding approach reduces waste material volume and environmental footprint compared to disposing of entire single-use containers, while still ensuring hygiene by replacing the portion that contacts the product.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If reusable packaging is used for nicotine pouches, then environmental impact is reduced, but hygiene and health safety concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is segmented into a reusable outer container and disposable inner pouches. The container can be safely reused and cleaned, while the inner pouches that directly contact the nicotine product are discarded after single use, eliminating cross-contamination risks and maintaining hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable inner pouch acts as an intermediary between the reusable container and the nicotine product. This intermediary layer ensures that the reusable container never directly contacts the product, eliminating hygiene concerns while still enabling container reuse and reducing environmental impact.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If reusable packaging is implemented, then waste management costs decrease, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into a durable reusable container and simple disposable pouches. This segmentation allows the complex reusable portion to be invested in once, while the simple disposable portions are easily manufactured and discarded, balancing manufacturing complexity with waste reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner pouches are designed as inexpensive, simple, single-use components that can be easily manufactured and discarded. This allows the system to benefit from reusable packaging waste reduction while avoiding the complexity and cost of making the entire packaging system reusable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A refillable container (9) for a product for oral consumption (5), the container (9) comprising: a refill unit (4); a casing (2) having an access opening at a top end of the casing (2), the casing (2) adapted to removably receive the refill unit (4) through the access opening; a lid (1) movable between a closed position, wherein the lid (1 ) occludes the access opening, and an open position, wherein the lid (1 ) is displaced to reveal the access opening and enable access to the refill unit (4); wherein the refill unit (4) comprises: a rigid cup-shaped body (7) comprising a bottom wall (14) and a side wall (17), the cup-shaped body (7) defining an internal receptacle configured to accommodate the product for oral consumption; the bottom wall (14) of the cupshaped body (7) comprising a downwardly concave portion (19), such that when the refill unit (4) is received inside the casing (2) a compartment (13) is defined between the downwardly concave portion (19) and a bottom wall (14) of the casing (2).