Product container including a product discharge device and method of use
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing product containers face challenges in balancing the need to prevent accidental seal opening during transport while ensuring easy and reliable user access for product release, without requiring excessive force or risking damage to the container.
Innovation Solution
A product container design featuring a spout unit that rotates from a compact transport position to an operational position, where the rotation mechanically opens a seal unit, allowing easy and controlled product discharge, using a cam or cuttable seal material for reliable sealing and user-friendly operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seal unit is made strong and secure to prevent accidental opening during transport, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as users require excessive force to open it
Solution Approach 1:
The seal unit is divided into a seal body and a separate breakable seal element (such as a foil seal or plastic seal). The breakable seal element provides strong sealing during transport but can be easily broken by users through simple actions like pulling a tab or pressing a button, resolving the contradiction between strong sealing and easy opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal unit incorporates a pre-configured breaking mechanism such as a perforated line, a weak point, or a breakable tab that has been prepared in advance. This allows the strong seal to be opened easily by users through minimal force applied to the pre-designed breaking point, maintaining both reliability during transport and ease of operation during use.
2Ease of operation
If the seal unit opening mechanism is made accessible and easy to operate, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates as accidental opening during transport may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The seal unit incorporates a transport lock mechanism that dynamically changes the opening requirement. During transport, the lock engages to require significant force or specific actions to open, preventing accidental opening. When the user wants to open the container, they can easily disengage the lock through a simple action like pressing a button or pulling a tab, making the seal accessible and easy to open intentionally.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal unit includes a transport lock or safety mechanism that is engaged by default during transport to prevent opening. The lock is designed to require intentional user action to disengage, creating preliminary protection against accidental opening while still allowing easy intentional opening when needed.
3Reliability
If excessive force is applied to open the seal unit, then reliability of opening is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for protective mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The seal unit incorporates a pre-configured breaking mechanism such as a perforated line, a weak point, or a breakable tab that has been prepared in advance. This allows the strong seal to be opened easily by users through minimal force applied to the pre-designed breaking point, maintaining both reliability during transport and ease of operation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal unit is designed to open automatically or with minimal user input through mechanisms like push-to-open, pull-tab, or breakable foil seals. The seal structure itself provides the opening mechanism, eliminating the need for complex external protective mechanisms or tools, thus maintaining reliability while minimizing device complexity.
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 design enables efficient, safe, and reliable product handling, protecting against environmental threats like bacteria, with minimal user effort and reduced risk of container damage, while ensuring the seal can be easily opened for product release.
Implementation Method 1
The discharge device is configured such that the seal unit can be brought from the sealed state to the opened state by rotating the spout unit from the first position to the operational position
Implementation Method 2
The spout unit may include a cam, in particular a disk cam, for bringing the seal unit from the sealed state to the opened state
Implementation Method 3
the seal unit is configured to substantially airtightly close off a first product flowthrough channel of the discharge device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A product container (1), in particular for a food product, wherein the product container (1) includes a product discharge device (2) for releasing product from the container (1), the discharge device comprising: a spout unit (3) for product discharge, wherein the spout unit (3) is rotatable, about a spout rotation axis (K), from a first position to an operational position, wherein the spout unit (3) preferably includes a handle (4) for rotating the spout unit (3) from the first position to the operational position, wherein the handle (4) preferably extends substantially radially outwardly from the spout rotation axis (K); and a seal unit (5) which is configured to enter an opened state, from a sealed state, wherein, in the sealed state, the seal unit (5) is configured to substantially airtightly close off a first product flowthrough channel (6) of the discharge device (2), wherein, in the opened state, the seal unit (5) is configured to convey allow a flow of product through the first product flowthrough channel (6), wherein the discharge device (2) is configured such that the seal unit (5) can be brought from the sealed state to the opened state by rotating the spout unit (3) from the first position to the operational position.