Single-Material Tube Adapter With Bellows Sealing and Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag-in-box systems require multiple materials for spout fitments and adapters, which increase costs and complicate recycling, and lack secure locking mechanisms with tactile feedback and integral seals without additional parts.
Innovation Solution
A unitary tube clip assembly made from a single polymeric material, featuring a bellowing section for secure sealing and locking, with slot-and-bayonet or flange-and-post configurations, allowing for easy assembly and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple materials are used for spout fitments and adapters, then functional requirements are met, but manufacturing costs increase and recyclability is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is integrated directly into the spout fitment as a single unit, combining what were previously separate components made from different materials. This monolithic structure eliminates the need for multiple material types while maintaining all necessary functions including sealing, locking, and dispensing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-material spout fitment adapter is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides sealing against the pouch, incorporates locking mechanisms for secure attachment, and enables various dispensing configurations. This multi-functional design achieves the versatility previously requiring multiple specialized components.
2Reliability
If multiple materials are used for spout fitments and adapters, then specific material properties are optimized, but recycling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The entire spout fitment adapter is constructed from a single homogeneous material, eliminating material compatibility issues that complicate recycling. This uniform composition allows the component to be processed alongside the pouch material, simplifying the recycling stream while maintaining reliable performance through careful material selection.
3Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is added to the adapter, then tube security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is integrated directly into the adapter body as an inherent feature rather than a separate component. The bayonet-style locking elements are molded as part of the single-material construction, providing secure tube attachment without adding mechanical complexity or requiring additional parts.
4Device complexity
If an integral seal is incorporated into the adapter, then additional sealing parts are eliminated, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged into the adapter body itself through an integral seal design. The sealing surface is molded directly onto the spout fitment, eliminating the need for separate gaskets or sealing components. This integrated approach reduces part count while the molding process inherently provides the necessary sealing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter is configured with two base platforms, initially tethered together, that separately receive a dispensing tube and attached to a standardized spout fitment at opposite ends. In use, the platforms collapse and lock together, while simultaneously creating an outwardly bellowing section in the tube that can double as a sealing gasket. The adapter is sized to couple to existing spout fitments and tube sizes to allow for easy adoption, while its components may all be constructed from the same polymeric material to facilitate manufacturing and/or recycling.