Skip Seal Food Container Recess Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Food containers deform due to pressure changes during shipping, especially at high altitudes, leading to undesirable appearances and potential rupture of the sealing membrane, as existing skip seals can inadvertently close, preventing gas venting.
Innovation Solution
A food container design with a sealing membrane and lid featuring recesses to align with skip seals, reducing pressure and preventing inadvertent closure of these gaps during the sealing process, ensuring venting and preventing container deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sealing membrane is completely sealed to the rim, then the sealing integrity is improved, but the container body deforms due to pressure changes
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing membrane is designed with segmented sealing zones rather than continuous sealing. Skip seals create intentional gaps that segment the sealing path, allowing the container to maintain both sealing integrity in critical areas and pressure equalization capability through the gaps, thereby preventing deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sealing membrane have different sealing properties. The membrane provides complete sealing in areas where structural integrity is needed, while having intentional gaps (skip seals) in areas where pressure equalization is required, allowing local adaptation to different functional requirements.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If skip seals are created by reducing sealing pressure in certain areas, then gas venting is improved, but the skip seals can inadvertently close during the sealing process
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning member is introduced as an intermediary element between the sealing membrane and the container rim. This positioning member maintains the skip seals in an open state by providing a mechanical barrier that prevents the sealing membrane from contacting the rim in the gap regions, ensuring reliable gas venting functionality throughout the container's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning member is pre-installed on the container rim before the sealing process. This preliminary action ensures that when the sealing membrane is applied, the skip seals are automatically maintained in an open state, preventing inadvertent closure before the container even leaves the manufacturing process.
3Area of stationary object
If the sealing membrane size is larger than the rim periphery, then sealing coverage is improved, but edges of the membrane inadvertently seal to the rim and close skip seals
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning member acts as a mediator between the oversized sealing membrane and the container rim. It allows the membrane to extend beyond the rim periphery for complete coverage while preventing the edges from making contact with the rim, thus maintaining skip seal openness despite the membrane being larger than the rim.
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 solution effectively maintains the integrity of the container by allowing gas venting, preventing deformation and rupture, while ensuring a secure seal in desired areas, thus maintaining product appearance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
One way of attaching the sealing membrane to the rim of the container body is by using induction heating. With pressure applied, the food container is sent through an induction heater, which causes the sealing membrane to seal to the rim of the container in areas where pressure is applied by the lid.
Data Source
AI summary
A food container is disclosed that is adapted for facilitating venting of gasses to and/or from the interior of a body of the food container. The food container includes a container body, a lid and a sealing membrane. At least one skip seal or gap is formed between the sealing membrane and the container body to facilitate venting. During formation of the at least one skip seal a recess in either the lid or rim of the container reduces pressure at the skip seal to reduce or eliminate inadvertent closing of the skip seal. Methods of manufacture of the food container are also disclosed.