Resealable Vacuum Receptacle With Nested Lids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current container designs for pharmaceutical and food products do not allow for easy resealing after initial opening, particularly when vacuum packed, which can lead to spoilage and safety issues due to air exposure.
Innovation Solution
A resealable, vacuum packable receptacle with a container, sealing layer, and adjustable lids that can be repeatedly vacuum packed, opened, and resealed, indicated by a vacuum pop sound, ensuring a hermetic seal is maintained through a combination of sealing layers and adjustable lid mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional sealed container is used, then the container can be sealed to protect contents, but the container cannot be resealed after opening
Solution Approach 1:
The container closure is divided into separate components: an inner lid that fits inside the outer lid, with the inner lid having a threaded portion that engages with the container threads. This segmentation allows the inner lid to be removed and replaced, enabling resealing while maintaining seal integrity through the coordinated action of the inner and outer lids.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure system transitions from a static single-use seal to a dynamic multi-component system where the inner lid can be screwed on and off. The threaded mechanism provides a reversible connection that maintains sealing capability across multiple opening/closing cycles, adapting the container for repeated use.
2Ease of operation
If the container is opened for access, then contents can be retrieved, but air enters and compromises the vacuum seal
Solution Approach 1:
The inner lid acts as an intermediary barrier between the container interior and the external environment. When the inner lid is properly threaded onto the container, it creates a seal that prevents air ingress while still allowing the outer lid to be removed for access. The inner lid mediates between the need for access and the need to maintain vacuum integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner lid is nested within the outer lid, creating a layered protection system. The inner lid provides the primary vacuum seal, while the outer lid provides additional protection and structural integrity. This nesting allows the inner lid to be independently engaged or disengaged without compromising the overall container structure.
3Device complexity
If a single-use lid is used, then the sealing mechanism is simple, but the lid cannot be reused after vacuum packing
Solution Approach 1:
The inner lid is pre-configured with a threaded portion that matches the container threads, enabling easy engagement and disengagement. This preliminary design of the threading mechanism allows the lid to be repeatedly attached and removed without compromising the seal, transforming a single-use design into a reusable one while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner lid serves multiple functions: it creates the vacuum seal, provides a threading mechanism for repeated attachment and detachment, and acts as a barrier against air ingress. This multi-functionality allows the same component to be used across multiple vacuum packing cycles without degradation of performance.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the lid is made child-resistant, then protection against child access is improved, but the opening mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The child-resistant mechanism is segmented into the inner lid and outer lid components. The inner lid requires specific manipulation (such as pressing a release mechanism while turning) to disengage from the threaded connection, while the outer lid can be independently removed. This segmentation provides child-resistant protection through the coordinated action of multiple components rather than a single complex mechanism.
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
Enables multiple cycles of vacuum packing and resealing, maintaining product freshness and safety by preventing air entry or exit, while providing a user-friendly and child-resistant mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a portion of the outer lid causes the outer lid or the inner lid to contact the sealing layer to push a desired amount of air from the container which then results in inhibiting air from entering or exiting the container
Implementation Method 2
Vacuum packing is a method of packing that removes air from the package prior to sealing
Implementation Method 3
the inner lid is threadably mated with the container
Data Source
AI summary
A resealable, vacuum packable receptacle has a container, a sealing layer, an inner lid, and an outer lid. When (i) the outer lid opening receives the inner lid, (ii) the inner lid is threadably mated with the container, and (iii) the container has the sealing layer positioned over the container's mouth; (A) a portion of the outer lid causes the outer lid or the inner lid to contact the sealing layer to push a desired amount of air from the container which then results in inhibiting air from entering or exiting the container, or (B) the distance between the outer lid's top surface and the inner lid's top surface can be altered, and when the distance is increased, the air pressure in the container is decreased.