Shrink-Sleeve Dosing Cup Package for Spill-Safe Scent Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging designs for particulate laundry scent additives are prone to dosing cup separation during handling, leading to incomplete products, potential spills when consumers test the scent, and inconvenience in dispensing with two hands.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring a container, closure, and dosing cup with a shrink sleeve wrapping around the container and dosing cup, providing a secure engagement mechanism and allowing scent sampling without opening the package, while enabling one-handed dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the dosing cup is peripherally snapped to the closure, then the dosing cup is positioned conveniently for use, but the dosing cup may become separated from the closure during shipping or handling
Solution Approach 1:
The shrink sleeve merges the container, closure, and dosing cup into a single integrated unit. By wrapping the shrink sleeve around all three components and heat-shrinking it, the patent creates a unified assembly where the dosing cup remains securely attached to the closure throughout shipping and handling, eliminating the separation problem while maintaining operational convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The shrink sleeve is a flexible thin film that conforms to the shapes of the container, closure, and dosing cup. This flexible shell provides secure engagement between components through friction and mechanical interlocking, preventing the dosing cup from becoming separated while allowing for easy removal during use.
2Ease of operation
If the consumer opens the closure to smell the product, then the consumer can verify the scent, but the product may spill or be exposed to the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the scent-sampling function from the opening operation. The vent opening provides a dedicated pathway for scent to escape when the consumer squeezes the container, allowing consumers to verify the scent without opening the closure or risking product spillage. This separates the scent verification function from the package opening function.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent opening acts as an intermediary between the sealed container and the consumer's nose. It allows scent molecules to pass through while maintaining the seal integrity and preventing particulate laundry scent additive from escaping. The shrink sleeve bridges over the vent opening to maintain structural integrity while allowing scent passage.
3Reliability
If the consumer handles three separate elements (container, closure, dosing cup), then the product can be securely packaged, but the dispensing process becomes inconvenient with only two hands
Solution Approach 1:
The shrink sleeve merges the container, closure, and dosing cup into a single integrated unit that can be handled as one piece. This reduces the number of separate elements the consumer must manipulate from three to one, making the dispensing process convenient with two hands while maintaining the secure packaging benefits through the shrink sleeve's engagement mechanism.
4Reliability
If the vent opening is covered by the shrink sleeve, then the shrink sleeve provides complete engagement, but the particulate laundry scent additive may escape through the vent opening
Solution Approach 1:
The shrink sleeve is designed with local quality variations - it bridges over the vent opening area to provide structural engagement and sealing, while the vent opening itself remains uncovered or partially covered to allow scent passage. The tapered portion of the dosing cup wall creates space for the shrink sleeve to engage while maintaining vent opening functionality, preventing particulate escape while allowing scent to pass through.
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 enhances product integrity during handling, allows consumers to sample the scent without spilling, and simplifies the dispensing process with two hands, addressing separation issues and spill risks while providing a convenient scent experience.
Implementation Method 1
a shrink sleeve wrapping around the container and the closure and at least a portion of the tapered portion of the dosing cup wall thereby providing a redundant mechanism of engagement between the dosing cup and the container
Implementation Method 2
a shrink sleeve wrapping around the container and the closure and at least a portion of the tapered portion of the dosing cup wall
Implementation Method 3
the dosing cup having a longitudinal axis, at least a portion of said dosing volume extending further away from the longitudinal centerline than at least a portion of the peripherally recessed portion of the closure, the wall comprising a tapered portion inwardly tapered towards the longitudinal axis, wherein the dosing cup comprises a vent opening in the closed end or in the wall, wherein the vent opening is sized and dimensioned to retain the particulate laundry scent additive
Data Source
AI summary
A package for a particulate laundry scent additive.