Sloped Membrane Dispensing Closure for Reduced Separation Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing closures for fluent substances lack an improved visual appearance, require high force for membrane separation, and are costly to manufacture, making them inefficient and costly for high-speed production.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing closure design featuring a membrane with an annular peripheral portion that slopes outwardly, a separation member with a grippable ring, and a second body with concentric walls to facilitate easy membrane separation and reduced assembly complexity, using thermoplastic materials for cost-effective manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a membrane with a planar peripheral portion is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the visual appearance is poor and the separation force is high
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane peripheral portion is designed with a curved or sloped geometry instead of a planar surface. This curvature improves the visual appearance by creating a more aesthetically pleasing dome-shaped appearance and facilitates easier separation by reducing the adhesion area with the closure body, thereby lowering the separation force required.
2Shape
If a complex closure design is used, then the visual appearance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure components including the body, membrane, and separation member are designed to be integrally formed or pre-assembled as a single unit. This merging of components simplifies the assembly process while maintaining an improved visual appearance through the unified design and curved surfaces of the integrated structure.
3Reliability
If a membrane with large adhesion area is used, then the seal integrity is improved, but the separation force required is high
Solution Approach 1:
The curved or sloped peripheral portion of the membrane reduces the effective adhesion area with the closure body while maintaining seal integrity through the dome-shaped configuration. The curvature allows the membrane to conform to the closure body surface for reliable sealing, but reduces the contact area that would require high separation force, enabling easier user activation.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing closure (40, 40A, 40B) defines a central axis and has a first body (54, 54A, 54B) for being located at an opening of a container. The first body (54, 54A, 54B) having a first peripheral wall (56, 56A, 56B) and a membrane (60, 60A, 60B) that is connected to the first peripheral wall (56, 56A, 56B) to initially occlude access to the interior of the container. The membrane (60, 60A, 60B) includes a separation member (62, 62A, 62B) that accommodates engagement by a user to separate the membrane (60, 60A, 60B) from the first peripheral wall (56, 56A, 56B) to permit access to the interior of the container. The membrane (60, 60A, 60B) has an annular peripheral portion (68, 68A, 68B) adjacent the first peripheral wall (56, 56A, 56B) that slopes axially outwardly along the central axis in a radial direction moving away from the first peripheral wall (56, 56A, 56B) toward the central axis.