Reusable Bottle With Ribbed Body and SEBS Polymer for Freezing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional plastic water bottles are prone to cracking and damage when exposed to freezing temperatures due to liquid expansion and poor impact resistance, making them unsuitable for repeated use and storage of frozen beverages.

Innovation Solution

A reusable bottle design featuring a polymer composition of 85-90% polypropylene and 10-15% additives such as styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) or polypropylene block copolymer, with a corrugated surface and fill level indicator, to enhance impact resistance and flexibility, allowing safe freezing and handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional plastic bottles are used for storing liquids, then they are suitable for normal use and disposable applications, but they are prone to cracking and damage when exposed to freezing temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebottle durability during freezingVSAvoidimpact resistance at low temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bottle is made from a composite polymer material consisting of polypropylene (85-90%) and thermoplastic elastomer (10-15%), specifically SEBS. This composite structure combines the rigidity and chemical resistance of polypropylene with the flexibility and impact resistance of the thermoplastic elastomer, enabling the bottle to withstand freezing temperatures without cracking while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the polymer composition parameters by incorporating 10-15% thermoplastic elastomer into the polypropylene matrix. This compositional change alters the material's physical properties, specifically improving its low-temperature impact resistance and flexibility while maintaining its formability and chemical resistance, allowing the bottle to survive freezing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If the bottle is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then it can hold liquid properly, but it becomes brittle and prone to damage when frozen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidbrittleness at freezing temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dual-polymer composite structure provides both rigidity and flexibility simultaneously. The polypropylene phase maintains structural integrity and liquid containment, while the thermoplastic elastomer phase provides flexibility and impact absorption at low temperatures, preventing brittleness without sacrificing structural strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The thermoplastic elastomer is distributed throughout the polypropylene matrix to create localized flexible regions that absorb impact energy and prevent crack propagation, while the bulk polypropylene structure maintains overall rigidity and structural integrity. This local quality differentiation allows the material to exhibit both rigid and flexible characteristics as needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 bottle maintains structural integrity and flexibility at freezing temperatures, preventing damage from impact and ensuring durability for repeated use and extended storage of frozen liquids.

Implementation Method 1

the body includes a polymer composition of about 85 to 90 percent of polypropylene (PP) and about 10 to 15 percent of an additive... the additive is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)... the reusable bottle includes a body having a container portion and a neck portion... maintains structural integrity and flexibility at freezing temperatures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11628966B2Freezable and reusable bottle and method of making the bottle

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 PARTY IP HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

A freezable reusable bottle having a body and a cap engaged with the body. The body includes a container portion and a neck portion extending from the container portion. The container portion includes a plurality of ribs extending along a longitudinal axis of the reusable bottle. The cap removably engages with the neck portion of the body. The body includes a polymer composition of about 85 to 90 percent of polypropylene (PP) and about 10 to 15 percent of an SEBS additive. The bottle may be frozen when filled with a liquid, with the ribs accommodating expansion of the contents during freezing, and the additive providing impact resistance accommodating the rigid frozen contents.