Sealed Package Stress-Absorbing Buffer Zone
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
During transportation, sealed medical packages face the risk of damage, which can cause the seal to be broken or breached, compromising the sterility of the medical supplies.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring a tray and cover with a continuous barrier seal and a discontinuous sacrificial seal, where the sacrificial seal is configured to absorb stress and protect the continuous barrier seal during transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed package is used to maintain sterility of medical supplies, then the sterility is preserved, but the seal is vulnerable to damage during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by creating a stress-absorbing buffer zone between the seal and the outer periphery of the tray flange. This buffer zone, which occupies 20-80% of the distance from the seal to the outer edge, absorbs transportation stresses before they can reach the seal, thereby protecting the seal integrity while maintaining sterility reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the seal structure into two distinct parts: a continuous barrier seal that maintains sterility and a discontinuous sacrificial seal that absorbs stress. The sacrificial seal is positioned at the outer periphery and is designed to deform or break first under stress, protecting the inner barrier seal from damage
2Strength
If the seal is positioned closer to the outer periphery to protect against bending, then stress resistance improves, but sterility protection decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sealing function into two separate seal structures: the continuous barrier seal positioned near the inner periphery for sterility protection, and the discontinuous sacrificial seal positioned at the outer periphery for stress resistance. This segmentation allows each seal to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer zone acts as an intermediary between the outer sacrificial seal and the inner barrier seal. It absorbs and dissipates transportation stresses, preventing them from being transmitted to the barrier seal, thereby allowing the barrier seal to remain positioned for optimal sterility protection while still providing stress resistance
3Ease of manufacture
If a single continuous seal is used for both sterility and stress resistance, then manufacturing is simplified, but the seal is more likely to fail under stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealing system into continuous and discontinuous seal portions. The continuous barrier seal ensures sterility maintenance, while the discontinuous sacrificial seal portions (positioned at corners or along edges) provide stress absorption. This segmentation improves durability without significantly complicating manufacturing, as both seal types can be formed in the same molding process
4Strength
If the flange is made larger to provide more buffer zone, then stress absorption improves, but package size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the buffer zone primarily at critical stress points such as corners and outer edges where the discontinuous sacrificial seal is positioned. This targeted approach provides effective stress absorption without requiring a uniform increase in flange size across the entire periphery, thus minimizing package footprint while maintaining stress absorption capability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A package includes a tray and a cover configured to seal an open end of the tray when the cover is assembled onto the tray. The tray has a flange extending about a periphery at the open end of the tray. A continuous barrier seal is formed between the flange and the cover when the cover is assembled onto the tray, and a discontinuous sacrificial seal is also formed between the flange and the cover when the cover is assembled onto the tray. The discontinuous sacrificial seal is configured to absorb stress applied to the flange. The continuous barrier seal is disposed closer to an inner periphery of the flange than the discontinuous sacrificial seal. Holes are formed on the corners of the flange, and the holes are spaced apart from the discontinuous sacrificial seal.